Muslims in the Netherlands will no longer be able to cover their faces in public after Dutch parliament voted overwhelmingly to ban burqas, balaclavas and ski-masks in public. The law – which bans burqas in public spaces including schools, hospitals, government buildings and public transport – was approved by 132 members of the 150-seat house. Muslim women caught flouting the new law will be fined 405 euros ($429). Under the new law, the burqa can be worn in private, but the Freedom Party, currently leading national polls ahead of an election in March, believes the burqa is incompatible with European values and is proposing a total ban in the country. Freedom Party founder Geert Wilders called the limited ban, “a step in the right direction“, adding that he will push for a complete ban if his party is elected next year, The Associated Press reported. “Face-covering clothing will in future not be accepted in education and healthcare institutions, government buildings and on public transport,” the government said in a statement last year after the cabinet backed Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk’s bill. It said it had “tried to find a balance between people’s freedom to wear the clothes they want and the importance [...]
The post Holland Bans Burqas From Public Spaces appeared first on Your News Wire.