Switzerland: Ticino Region Approves Ban on Wearing Burqas in Public:
Wearing a niqab or burka in public has been prohibited in the Swiss region of Ticino, with offenders.
The area ‘s parliament approved the law on Monday, thus prohibiting total-face veils worn by girls in several Muslim nations, in the aftermath of heightened terrorist alerts across Europe.
No exceptions will likely be made for tourists, but other types of face coverings including crash helmets, balaclavas or masks will be allowed.
The prohibition was supported by nearly two thirds of the area ‘s voters in a referendum in September 2013 before Parliament approved it.
The vote was established under the direct democracy, allowing proposals to be put to the people if enough signatures are gathered in Switzerland.
“Those who would like to assimilate are welcome irrespective of their faith,” he said. “But people who rebuff our values and aim to establish a parallel society based on spiritual laws, and would like to put it over our society, aren’t welcome,” he added.
The European Court of Human Rights upheld the law in July 2014. Similar laws have been passed in the Netherlands as well as Belgium.
In 2009, Swiss voters backed a prohibition on building new minarets as well as the Swiss People’s Party has made resistance to immigration an integral focus.
But Swiss parliament in the year 2012 rejected a national prohibition on burkas in public places.
The cantons of Fribourg, Bern, Schwyz, Solothurn and Basel also have rejected similar propositions.
There are approximately 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland, about 0.5 per cent of the people.
