Veils

Mandatory Covid-19 facemasks expose bigoted nature of burqa bans in Europe

Lawyers and critics now say that in light of coronavirus, legal arguments against the burqa ban are much weaker and that it’s time to put an end to the criminalisation of women who choose to cover their faces in public.

UN racism expert slams Dutch burqa ban

Tendayi Achiume, the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, highlights what she calls the "Dutch paradox" – which is that the Netherlands' perception of itself as tolerant stops it making any further improvements.

Sri Lanka’s ban on the veil is not the answer to combat the forces of hate

Muslims in Sri Lanka are concerned that the short-term ban on the face veil could lead to the further marginalisation of Muslims in society.

Canada's Quebec to ban public workers from wearing religious symbols

The proposed law sets the province's right-leaning Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government on a collision course with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who promotes religious freedom, in a federal election year with a Quebec a vital battleground.

France's ban on full-body veil violates human rights, UN says

The UN Human Rights Committee says the ban on the niqab face veil disproportionately harmed the right of women to manifest their religious beliefs.

Switzerland's St Gallen to introduce face veil ban

The regional government of the Swiss state had opposed the measure to ban facial coverings but the decision was put to the people after the Green and Green Liberal parties demanded a referendum.

Dutch senate passes law banning veils in public buildings

The new law bans wearing face-covering veils in public buildings, such as schools, government offices and hospitals.

US coffee shop worker refuses service to man for accosting veiled woman

In a confrontation recorded on video, a man insults a Muslim woman in a niqab at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in California.

Muslim women in Denmark face dehumanisation at the hands of the state

Denmark, following in the footsteps of several other European countries, seeks to target Muslim women for their religious convictions. A young female-led organisation seeks to change attitudes within Danish society.

Denmark proposes to ban the full-face veil in public

In the event that Denmark adopts the ban on wearing the full face veil or niqab, it will become the second European country to have such a restriction. France was the first country to impose this ban in 2011.

Quebec’s niqab ban threatens to change the tolerant face of Canada

Canada’s French-speaking province is generally known for its progressivism, yet Quebec’s parliament has just passed a law that will ban Muslim women from wearing facial veils.