/ 09 March 2021

Cover up ban for Switzerland

Face coverings worn by some Islamic women will be outlawed in Switzerland after voters narrowly supported the move in a referendum with 51.2% of the vote yesterday. The so-called ‘burqa ban’ has been implemented in a handful of countries across Europe and Africa, and in China. While the Swiss campaign didn’t mention Islam and was said to be about the stopping of violent protestors from protecting their identities, the country’s right-wing Swiss People’s Party said it was to ‘stop extremism’. The country’s leading Islamic group, the Central Council of Muslims, said it was “a dark day” for Swiss Muslims and that it would challenge the decision in court. However, one Muslims leader said while the motivation was likely Islamophobia, he supported the move to “emancipate Muslim women”. Research showed that almost no women living in Switzerland wear the full face covering burqa or niqab.

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