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Niqab included in proposed ban

15 Mar 2021

  • I requested to ban both burqa and niqab: Dr. Sarath Weerasekara

  • ‘Covid masks different as they can be removed in public’

  The much talked about cabinet paper submitted for the Cabinet of Ministers’ approval to ban the wearing of face veils in Sri Lanka includes both the niqab and the burqa, The Morning learnt. The difference between the often confused niqab and burqa is that the niqab covers the face of the wearer except the eyes, while the burqa covers the entire face of the wearer from onlookers, including the eyes. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (14), Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (Retd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera said that the cabinet paper that has been submitted bans the wearing of face veils that cover the face of the wearer and hence includes both. “This cabinet paper seeks to ban the wearing of face covers that cannot be removed in public upon request, and it includes the burqa and the niqab.” He further added that masks and full-face helmets can be removed in public upon requests made for identification and for security concerns, but that such a removal of religious clothing cannot be done in public. The cabinet paper which has been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers would receive approval within one or two weeks’ time, according to Minister Weerasekara. On Saturday (13), he said that he has signed the cabinet paper to ban the wearing of face veils including the burqa in public. He said that wearing a face veil in public would directly affect the national security of the country. This came a week after 51.2% of people of Switzerland voted in favour of banning the wearing of face covers in public, including the burqa and niqab, in a referendum. France became the first European country in 2011 to ban the wearing of the full face veil in public, which was followed by a similar ban in Belgium the same year.  


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