Italy could become second European country to ban women from wearing burqa

[News_Editor]

Italy could become second European country to ban women from wearing burqa

2010-10-08 06:21:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

MILAN, ITALY (BNO NEWS) – The Italian government on Thursday ruled in favor of a proposed legislation to ban women from wearing the burqa, the UK's Daily Mail reported, soon after a similar law was approved in France.

The legislation was proposed by Members of Parliament from the anti-immigration Northern League party, a member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s ruling right wing coalition. A government report ruled in favor of the legislation on Thursday, but it remains to be seen if the bill will get full approval.

The Italian Interior Ministry said that if introduced the law should specify that the ban on burqas and face veils was decided due to security reasons and not for religious reasons. The report is currently being considered by the Constitutional Affairs Commission.

The Interior Ministry said that after inquiries with leading Muslims, it was learned that the use of the burqa and face veils was not mentioned or ordered in the Quran. It also mentioned that the origin of the face veil does not come from Islam's Holy Book.

"The burka has nothing to do with religion and was being worn even before Islam was founded - it was worn by the Romans, Byzantines and Persians and wearing it is not a religious obligation. There is no connection between the burqa and the niqab with the Islamic religion," Ejaz Ahmed of the Italian Islam Committee said.

Others believe that the ban will risk increasing discrimination against Muslims and also retribution from extremists. Italy has more than a million Muslims but most Muslim women do not wear any kind of face veils.

Some incidents have taken place across Italy as women wearing burqas or face veils have been fined, asked to leave places and asked to remove the veils. There have also been protests against the burqini, an Islamic bathing costume, as it is considered 'unhygienic.'

In France, the new legislation established fines of 150 euros ($210) or a course of citizenship lessons for women who break the law, and 30,000 euros ($41,800) and a jail term for men who force their wives to wear the burqa.

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