India is facing a massive protest in the country for and against the wearing of Muslim 'hijab' in education institutions. The controversy erupted after some girl students in the Udupi district insisted on wearing hijab at pre-university educational institutions defying the approved dress code. The hijab controversy has now reached the Karnataka High Court that will pronounce its verdict in the matter. The High Court has stopped the use of hijab or any other religious symbol in educational institutions in violation of the dress code till the time it delivers the verdict in this matter. Many countries around the world have already banned the face covering of Muslim women like hijab, niqab, and burqa for safety, security, and other related issues. Let's take a look at the ten countries around the globe where the face-veils practice is banned and may lead to penalties.
1. France In April 2011, France was the first European country to ban the wearing of burkas in public. A fine of €150 is imposed in the country for violation of this rule and €30,000 is imposed on anyone who forces the women to wear any face veils. The law was passed in 2010 to assure women's equality in the country. The act “Law of 2010-1192: Act prohibiting concealment of the face in public space” was passed to ban any face-coverings in public places. Any headscarves or religious items were banned in France schools from the year 2004. The act passed in 2011 made it illegal to wear anything which covers a women's face (photo source: Opinio Juris)
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2. Switzerland In March 2021, Switzerland banned the face coverings of women like burqa, niqab, and any face veils in public places. The act to ban the covering by women was passed by 51.2% national vote. The Swiss Central Council on the passing of the act said that it was a 'dark day' for Muslims, reported BBC. The ban was to provide women with their rights, freedom, and security. The right-wing said that there was a need to implement it as the basic principle for women, faces should not be covered in a free society, said media reports(photo source: The Times)
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3. Netherlands In August 2019, Netherland partially banned the face coverings of Muslim women like burqa and niqab. The ban was imposed in the country on August 1 in schools, government buildings, healthcare, and public transport. The ban was imposed in the country after 14 years of debate on it. The violation of this law is penalized for 150-euro. "This freedom is limited at locations where communication is vital for good quality service or for security in society", reported a government site (photo source: The Guardian)
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4. Belgium In 2011, Belgium joined the line of France and banned full face veils. The people violating this law are fined and can even land up in jail for seven years. Everything which covers the lower half of the face is banned in the country. The ban was imposed citing security that police should be able to identify individuals in the public places of the country, it was approved by unanimous vote. Some arguments in the country also stated that the covering was a sign of oppression of women (photo source: Index)
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5. Denmark In 2018, Denmark declared a ban on face veils in public places. Danish government in 2017 considered implementing a law that prohibits people to wear anything which covers their face in public places. The proposal was given citing that anything which makes the identity of an individual unrecognizable should be banned. The law came in after a year in August 2018. The people violating this law are fined up to €135 (photo source: BBC)
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6. Sri Lanka In April 2021, Sri Lanka imposed a ban on burqa or niqab. It is the latest country in the world to implement the ban on face coverings. The reason cited for the ban on it is national security concerns. The ban was imposed temporarily in 2019 when the suicide bomb on Easter Sunday killed more than 260 people in the country. All face veils are included in this ban (photo source: UNILAD)
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7. Austria In 2017, Austria implemented a legal ban on face-covering of women in the country, The country passed the 'Anti-Face Veiling Act' in the country. People not following the order will be fined up to 150 euros. In 2019, hijab was also banned in primary schools of the country having children up to ten years old. The ban was imposed to promote equality in the country and to improve social integration, said the Austrian legislators (photo source: BBC)
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8. Bulgaria In 2016, Bulgaria imposed a ban on face coverings in public places in the country. The violators of this law will be facing a fine of up to €750. The violators will also be barred from the social benefits of the country. The law was adopted for security purposes amid the wake of Islamist militant attacks in Europe. Some exemptions for the law made include when playing a sport, having prayers and when the people are at work (photo source: TRT World)
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9. China In 2017, China ordered a ban on women's burqas, face veils, and long beards by men in the Islamic area of the country, Xinjiang. People who are seen wearing headscarves, veils, burqas and even clothing with a crescent moon on it are banned from using public transportation of the country (photo source: BBC)
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10. Republic of Congo In 2015, The Republic of Congo was the first country on the African continent to impose a ban on Burqa. According to sources by BBC, the face-covering in the country was used by some Muslim women to commit illegal or terrorist offenses in the country. The decision was made to prevent any terrorist activities and maintain security in the country, reported by the AFP news agency (photo source: NaijaGists.com)
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