Partial Dutch ban on face-covering clothing comes into force

Partial Dutch ban on face-covering clothing comes into force
August 1, 2019, 10:17 am

Very few women in the Netherlands wear a burqa or niqab and it is unclear how strenuously the law will be enforced. (File photo AFP)

A new Dutch law has come into force banning face-covering clothing - including the burqa and niqab worn by conservative Muslim women - on public transport, in government buildings and at health and education institutions.

The Netherlands, long seen as a bastion of tolerance and religious freedom, is the latest European country to introduce such a ban, following the likes of France, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Denmark.

Muslim and rights groups have voiced opposition to the law - formally called the “partial ban on face-covering clothing” - and an Islamic political party in Rotterdam has said it will pay the 150-euro ($167) fines for anybody caught breaking it.

Very few women in the Netherlands wear a burqa or niqab and it is unclear how strenuously the law will be enforced.

The Associated Press

Osama bin Laden’s son and heir Hamza is dead Economic corruption surrounds the palace of the Turkish president