Paris, Aug 30, SPA -- France vowed Monday to press ahead with a controversial law banning Islamic head scarves in schools,despite demands by captors holding two French journalistshostage in Iraq. Government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope told Canal Plustelevision France would not compromise its values to winthe release of the journalists. The captors claiming to holdthem demanded the law be overturned within 48 hours _ adeadline that expires late Monday. "The law will be applied," Cope said, rejecting their warning. The head scarf law goes into effect when school resumesthis week. The journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot,were last heard from on Aug. 19, just before heading fromBaghdad to the southern city of Najaf. Chesnot works forRadio France-Internationale and Radio France and Malbrunotfor RTL radio and the dailies Le Figaro and Ouest-France.--SPA1311 Local Time 1011 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/196335