Norway Proposes Burqa Ban in Schools
The Norwegian government on Monday proposed a ban on the Muslim full-face veil and other face-covering clothing for both adults and children in schools and universities. The move comes amidst the backdrop of rising terror threat from Islamist radicals in European countries.
If approved, Norway will join European states France, Belgium, Netherlands, Bulgaria and Bavaria in Germany to impose restrictions on wearing burqas and niqabs. Under the proposal, employees who insist on wearing a veil would risk losing their jobs, and students could face expulsion.
Norway is also the first Scandinavian country to introduce restrictions on wearing burqa, the head-to-toe Islamic veil. The ban will take effect in schools as the burqa hinders communication between pupils and teachers. The ability to communicate is a basic Nordic value, said Per Sandberg, the acting Minister of Immigration and Integration.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Despite some opposition by some sectors, Norway's minority center-right Conservative government is confident parliament will pass the measure. Critics have questioned the bill's relevance considering the full-face veil is not widely worn in the country, according to BBC.
France became the first European country to pass a law "banning the hiding of the face in public spaces" in April 2011 which resulted in 1,500 arrests in the past five years. The European Court of Human Rights rejected the argument which claims that the ban breached religious freedom, Daily Mail reported.
In Switzerland, the southern Tessin region implemented its own burqa ban which was imposed only this July 1 as parliament failed to pass a nationwide law. Only Greece, Portugal and Spain are left without such a ban in the continent, considering their proximity to the Middle East and North Africa.
Morocco is expected to implement a ban on the production and sale of burqa this week. It will be the first North African country to do so for security reasons after criminals used the garment to commit illegal activities. The Iraqi army also banned the religious clothing as it clears Mosul of jihadis.
