In a referendum held in March, 51.2% of the Swiss voted to ban the complete closure of persons in public places. The ban applies to both the hijab and burqa worn by Muslim women and the ski masks and headscarves worn by protesters.
Public spaces include restaurants, stadiums, public transport, and even city streets. Excluded are religious institutions and the use of face closures for medical or security purposes (for example, face masks that people wear to protect against coronavirus or during traditional carnivals).
The Swiss government must, within two years, develop a law that will detail all the rules and conditions of the ban. In two Swiss cantons, Ticino and Sant Galen, similar laws are already in force, providing for fines for their violation. National bans also apply in European countries such as Belgium and France.
The government of the country objected to this measure, calling it “unnecessary”, since the complete closure of the face is a “limited phenomenon” in the country. And the ban could negatively affect the tourism industry, since in most cases Muslim women who come to Switzerland from the Persian Gulf countries wear hijabs and veils. Experts believe that only a few dozen women regularly wear such coverings in a country of 8.5 million.
But supporters of the ban, which was put to a nationwide referendum five years after the start of the campaign in its favor, argue that full face covering is “a symbol of oppression of women” and such a measure is necessary to support one of the basic principles of democracy – people should be open and free. society, which is Switzerland.
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Controversial decision