Switzerland Referendum: The Importance of the Burqa Ban for right-wing groups.

On the 7th of March 2021, Switzerland – with a narrow majority of 51%[1] – voted in favour of approving a nationwide ban on full-face coverings. This sees Switzerland join the growing number of European countries to vote in favour of such initiatives, with France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, and Bulgaria each having put in place…

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The niqab and burqa debate continues in the Spanish Town Councils.

The ban of wearing burqa and niqab continues at local level in the Spanish Town Councils. On the one side the Town Council of Tàrrega has decided not to ban the wearing of burqa and niqab in the public spaces and on the other side the city hall of Lleida has decided to ban it….

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The Spanish Headscarf and burqa debate

After the Najwa Malha affair and the ban on the burqa and the niqab in Lleida some political and religious actors have fixed their opinions on headscarves. The Speaker in the European Parliament of the Socialist Party of Spain (PSOE), López Aguilar, compared the hijab to the Catholic nuns’ head covering.

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More troubles emerge at the Drancy mosque outside of Paris

The mosque in the town of Drancy, on the outskirts of Paris, is currently the most controversial in France because its imam has come out in support of the government’s decision to ban the burqa. Imam Hassan Chalghoumi is now facing death threats and has been given police protection. Ignoring the advice of his advisors…

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British debate on banning Islamic dress unlikely to resemble the French

The French burqa debate has crossed the Channel. Despite calls from some groups for a full or partial ban on veils, there is currently no ban on Islamic dress in the UK – although schools were allowed to set out their own dress code in 2007 after several high-profile court cases. In January 2010, Schools…

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