The BBC reports that the Dutch government supports a plan by Dutch immigration and integration Minister Rita Verdonk to ban the burqa from all public spaces.
The burqa, a full body covering that also obscures the face, would be banned by law in the street, and in trains, schools, buses and the law courts.
The cabinet said burqas disturb public order, citizens and safety.
The decision comes days ahead of elections which the ruling centre-right coalition is expected to win.
Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk, who is known for her tough policies, said it was important that all people in the Netherlands were able to see and identify each other clearly to promote integration and tolerance.
And I agree with that. And to those who complain…
The main Muslim organisation in the Netherlands, CMO, said the plan was an “over-reaction to a very marginal problem”, the Associated Press reported.
should realize that the burqa is forbidden in certain Muslim countries as well. For instance Turkey, where women cannot even wear a veil in public buildings.
