If a new law passes, then this country will join some 20 others in banning burqas.
Italy’s coalition government wants to ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in public (Image: Getty)
The ruling party of Italy‘s prime minister Giorgia Meloni has put forward legislation to ban the burqa and niqab in public. The proposal is part of a Bill which the right-wing Brothers of Italy party insists is aimed at tackling “cultural separatism”.
Under the ban, garments that cover the face would be banned in schools, universities, workplaces, shops and all public places. Anyone deemed to have broken the ban would face a fine ranging from £261 to £2,600 (300 to 3,000 euros).
An introduction to the Bill, translated and quoted by Reuters, says the legislation aims to combat “religious radicalisation and religiously-motivated hatred”.
A burqa is a garment worn by some Muslim women which covers the whole body and face, with a mesh screen so the wearer can see. The niqab is a veil for the face which leaves an area around the eyes clear. It can be worn with a separate eye veil and is worn with an additional headscarf.
Critics of such garments say they are misogynistic and imposed on female Muslims, while opponents of bans argue that doing so would result in their being isolated more from the rest of society.
If the Bill passes, as it is expected to be given the large majority of Ms Meloni’s right-wing coalition government, then Italy will join a group of over 20 countries which enforce a form of burqa ban.
These include Austria, Turkey, Switzerland and France, which in 2011 became the first European country to bring in a ban on wearing burqas.
Such bans have been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights. The court upheld a ban on burqas and full face veils in Belgium in 2017. It ruled countries can restrict them to safeguard social cohesion.
Parts of Italy already have restrictions, including Lombardy, where a ban on face coverings when entering public buildings was imposed in 2015.
Italy’s Bill includes penalties for testing virginity and stronger punishment for forced marriages. Religious coercion in such cases would be grounds for prosecution under the proposed legislation.
Reuters reports that Ms Meloni’s coalition partner, the League, put forward limited legislation focused on face coverings earlier this year.
It is under review in the Italian parliament, but it is not clear whether that would be combined with the new Bill.
A timetable for the Bill to be debated in parliament has yet to appear.
