On Nov. 29 the Dutch Parliament’s House of Representatives voted for a ban on burqas and niqabs, making it illegal for face-covering clothes to be worn in some public places by Muslim women, reports Reuters. The House's vote, if supported by a vote of the Dutch Parliament's Senate, would make the Netherlands the latest country to institute some sort of ban on burqas.
In April 2011 France banned face-covering veils entirely, followed by Belgium the same year. As of July 2016, regions in Italy, Spain, and Cameroon have also instated a ban on burqas and/or niqabs.
On Nov. 15, Jason Spencer, a Republican state representative of the U.S. state of Georgia, introduced a bill to the state legislature that would have banned women in Georgia from wearing burqas and Muslim veils while driving, walking in public, and taking a driver’s license photo. After receiving criticism even from members of his own party, Spencer withdrew his proposal two days later.
Spencer proposed the ban just days after the 2016 U.S. presidential election concluded with the election of Donald Trump — who called for a ban on Muslims from the U.S., and said that profiling Muslims "is something that we’re going to have to start thinking about as a country" — as the 45th president of the United States.
Read more here.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!