Switzerland votes against wearing burqa in public places
08 Mar 2021 17:49:31
Bern, Mar 8: Switzerland has narrowly voted in favor of banning full facial coverings, including the niqab and burqa, in almost all public places. As many as 51.21 per cent of voters voted in support of the controversial proposal in the referendum. The approval by voters means that facial covering will be banned in all publicly accessible places, including on the streets, in public offices, on public transport, in restaurants, shops as well as in the countryside.
The places where full facial coverings will be allowed include places of worship and other sacred sites. Besides, it will be allowed for health and safety reasons and also in situations where it is 'local custom' such as carnivals.There will be no additional exceptions, like that for tourists, according to the proposal by the Swiss federal government.
The proposal, that was put forward by several groups including the right-wing Swiss People's Party, does not mention Islam specifically but has been widely referred to as the 'burqa ban' in Swiss media. The proposal has been widely criticized, especially by the Swiss religious organizations, human rights and civic groups and the federal government. The Swiss Council of Religions, which represents all major religious communities in Switzerland, has stated the human right to religious freedom also protects religious practices such as dress codes.
The Swiss Federal Council, which serves as the country's federal govt, and the Swiss Parliament also rejected the initiative as going too far and advised people to vote against it. France was the first country in Europe to ban burqas and niqabs in public places in 2011 and the European Court of Human Rights upheld the ban in 2014. In Switzerland, the referendum has come after years of debates. Twelve years ago another referendum had come that outlawed the construction of minarets in Switzerland.