European country bans burqas with warning of £3,475 fines | World | News
The Portuguese Parliament has approved a bill banning the wearing of veils in public for “gender or religious” reasons. The law was proposed by the far-right Chega party and would ban coverings such as burqas and niqabs. Burka is a full-body garment that covers a woman from head to toe. Veils are veils that cover the face but leave space around the eyes.
moving in Portugal would prohibit the wearing of such clothing in most public places. Face veils will still be allowed on planes, diplomatic buildings and places of visit worship. Under the ban, anyone found breaking the ban could face fines ranging from £174 to £3,475 (€200 to €4,000).
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has not yet approved the bill and could veto it or send it to the country’s Constitutional Court for review.
If the law comes into force, Portugal will join many European countries such as Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands that have imposed full or partial bans on face and headscarves.
Many women in Portugal do not wear such veils, but the issue of the Islamic veil causes controversy, as in other European countries.
Chega touched upon the reasons why France and other European Union countries banned face masks commonly used by Muslim women. The party received support for the bill from centre-right parties.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ruling party, Brothers of Italy, was recently discussed Law banning burqa and veil a move aimed at targeting “cultural separatism”.
In the bill, Chega said hiding the face subjects individuals, especially women, to “situations of exclusion and inferiority.” The draft text stated that this was incompatible with principles such as “freedom, equality and human dignity”.
Exceptions are cases where facial concealment is “justified for health reasons or for professional, artistic, recreational or publicity reasons.”
Politicians from left-wing parties object to the law. Pedro Delgado Alves’ Socialist Party voted against the bill.
He said the legislation was being used to target foreigners and people of a different faith, adding that while no woman should be forced to wear a veil, the far-right party’s approach was wrong.
Chega leader André Ventura said that everyone who comes to Portugal, no matter where they come from or what tradition and religion they have, “must comply with, respect and ensure that they are respected” by the country’s traditions and values.
