Portugal has moved to ban burqas used for “gender or religious motives,” and fines for not abiding by the rules are steep.
“If signed into law,” the bill, which was proposed by the Chega party, means face veils will not be allowed in most public spaces, Reuters reported on Friday, noting that veils will be allowed in airplanes, diplomatic premises, and places of worship.
The outlet said France, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands have full or partial bans in place. It also explained, “President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa could still veto the bill or send it to the Constitutional Court for checks.”
Britannica defines the burqa (or burka) as an outer garment primarily worn by Muslim women that covers their entire body and face. The wearer can only see through a mesh panel that covers the eyes.
The proposed fines for wearing the veil or burqa in public could reach up to 4,000 euros, and forcing someone to wear them could result in three years behind bars, per the Reuters article.
The outlet continued:
During Friday’s parliamentary session, Chega leader Andre Ventura was confronted by several female lawmakers from left-wing parties who opposed the bill, but it passed with support from the centre-right coalition.
“We are today protecting female members of parliament, your daughters, our daughters, from having to use burqas in this country one day,” Ventura said.
“This is a debate on equality between men and women. No woman should be forced to veil her face,” Andreia Neto, a legislator from the ruling Social Democratic Party, asserted prior to the voting.
The burqa issue has been contentious in Europe because many argue the veils and burqas symbolize gender discrimination and can also be a security threat.
Breitbart News reported October 9:
Italy will work to fight “Islamic separatism” and “counter-societies where Sharia law” reigns with a proposed new law that would crack down on religious fundamentalism and foreign influence on mosques.
The Brothers of Italy party (Fratelli d’Italia, FdI) of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni unveiled a new law to combat “Islamic separatism” that will crack down on hate preachers, foreign mosque funding, virginity examinations for Islamic brides, child marriages, arranged marriages, and face-coverings for women. The law would make Italy just the latest European country to move towards banning the burqa.
It is important to note that burqa sales rose in Afghanistan after the Taliban terrorist group seized control of the country, according to an Afghan burqa merchant, Breitbart News reported in 2021.
“The Taliban confirmed to Reuters on August 17 it plans to govern Afghanistan through a system of sharia moving forward, meaning it is almost certain to reimpose its historic covering policy for women and girls nationwide,” the article said.
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