Milan, Sept. 28 (Reuters): For Italian fashion guru Giorgio Armani, it?s no crime for a woman to wear a burqa.

?It?s a question of respect for the convictions and culture of others. We need to live with these ideas, we need to learn how to do it,? Armani was quoted as saying by Italian newspapers today.

A small town in northern Italy sparked an uproar this month by fining a woman for venturing outdoors in a burqa.

A designer famous for his sexy, sophisticated outfits for women, Armani dismissed as absurd the view that women clad in burqas are a possible terror threat.

?To see a veiled woman on the streets of Paris used to have an exotic appeal. Now they are seen as terrorists and people take fright,? Armani said.

?You can be packed with explosives even with your face uncovered.?