The Ministry of Justice has proposed a new law forbidding the wearing of a burqa, the full-face Islamic veil, in public. This bill may potentially be applied to all “comprehensively masking items.”

According to the national broadcaster DR, the draft of the legislation says that it will ban the “wearing of clothing items that cover the face in public places,” i.e. scarves, helmets, masks, fully-covering costumes, false beards, etc. The report also suggests the police make a decision on which items fall within the ban, and allow them if they serve a “worthy purpose.” It added that people would still be able to wear hats and scarves in cold weather.

The authorities insisted that a violation of the burqa ban be punishable by a fine of 1,000 kroner (approximately $167) or imprisonment for up to three months. A government committee is set to discuss the draft proposal next week, DR reported.

Full story: sputniknews.com

Sputnik International