WASHINGTON (RNS) President Obama continued his unprecedented dialogue on religious freedom in France on Saturday (June 6), saying the United States would not restrict Muslim women from wearing veils.

In a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Obama said the U.S. “should not have two standards for freedom of religious expression, one for Muslims and one for non-Muslims.”

“I will tell you that in the United States our basic attitude is, is that we’re not going to tell people what to wear,” Obama said, his second comment in three days on Muslim headscarves.

His comments in France echoed his earlier address in Cairo on Thursday when he promoted religious freedom in both Western and Muslim-majority nations.

“Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it,” he said in his Cairo speech. “Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit — for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear.”

Obama’s comments come one week after Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler issued a legal opinion requiring Muslim women and other people to remove facial coverings when entering courthouses. Gansler said the opinion would help security officers identify potential witnesses, victims or perpetrators who enter the courthouse. He advised officers to set-up a private area for female officers to screen those entering.

In France, whose 5 million Muslims make up Europe’s largest Muslim population, Sarkozy said civil servants must not display their religious beliefs while on duty.

“We simply set two limits because we are a secular state,” he said. “In a country like France, where everyone can live according to their convictions and beliefs, we respect the individual, we respect women, we respect the family.”

Obama said that he does not “take responsibility for how other countries are going to approach” the issue.