The hijab controversy that started at a college in Karnataka has not stopped. The hearing on the matter is going on in the High Court. The High Court has given an interim order that till this matter is not resolved, there will be a ban on religious dress, be it hijab or saffron cloth. This order of the High Court was challenged in the Supreme Court, which has been refused by the Supreme Court for an immediate hearing.
In the eyes of some, this is a constitutional right, while some believe that it is not right to wear religious symbols in educational institutions. But there are some countries in the world where, years ago, face coverings or Islamic niqabs were banned in public places. In some countries, there is also a provision of heavy fines for violation of rules.
France
On 11 April 2011, France became the first European country to ban full-face Islamic veils in public places. Under this restriction, no woman, whether French or foreign, could go outside the house with full face covered. A provision of a fine was made for the violation of the rule.
Nicola Sarkozy was the President of France at that time. The Sarkozy administration, which imposed the ban, believed that purdah amounted to atrocities against women and would not be welcome in France.
Five years later, that is, in the year 2016, another controversial law was brought in France. This time around, swimsuits covering the entire body of women known as Burkini were banned. However, later the French Supreme Court struck down this law.
About 5 million Muslim women are living in France. This number is highest in Western Europe, but only 2,000 women wear the burqa.
A fine of 150 euros was fixed for doing so. If someone forces a woman to cover her face, then there is a provision of a fine of 30 thousand euros on her.
Belgium
In Belgium too, full face coverings were banned in July 2011. The new law prohibited any clothing in public places that did not reveal the identity of the wearer.
In December 2012, the Belgian Constitutional Court dismissed a petition seeking the repeal of the ban, saying it did not violate human rights.
The Belgian law was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights in the year 2017.
Netherlands
In November 2016, lawmakers in the Netherlands supported a ban on full-face Islamic veils in public places such as schools and hospitals, and while traveling in public transport.
However, the bill needed to be passed in Parliament for this ban to become law. The Netherlands finally banned face coverings in June 2018.
Italy
Masks covering the face are banned in some cities of Italy. It also includes the city of Novara. In the Lombardy region of Italy, a ban on the burqa was agreed upon in December 2015 and came into force in January 2016. However, this rule does not apply to the whole country.
Germany
On 6 December 2016, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that "full-face veils should be banned wherever legally possible in the country".
Although there is no such law in Germany yet, it is illegal to cover your face while driving.
Germany's lower house of parliament approved a partial ban for judges, soldiers, and government employees. Here it has also been made mandatory for women who cover the whole face to show their face when needed.
Austria
In October 2017, face coverings were banned in Austria in public places such as schools and courts.
Norway
In Norway, a law passed in June 2018 prohibits the wearing of face coverings in educational institutions.
Spain
Although Spain has no plans for a national ban, in 2010 it announced a ban on full-face Islamic veils in some public places such as municipal offices, markets, and libraries in the city of Barcelona.
However, the ban imposed in the city of Lida was overturned by the Supreme Court of Spain in February 2013. The court had said that this is a violation of religious freedom.
Britain
There is no restriction on Islamic dress in Britain, but schools there are allowed to set their dress code. In a poll conducted in August 2016, 57 percent of the British public voted in favor of banning the burqa in the UK.
Africa
In 2015, burqa-clad women carried out several major suicide bombings. After this, full face coverings were banned in Chad, the northern region of Cameroon, some areas of Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Turkey
Turkey was officially a secular country for more than 85 years. The founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, rejected the hijab, calling it backward thinking.
The hijab was banned in official buildings and some public places, but the country's Muslim-majority population has different opinions on the issue.
Two-thirds of all Turkish women, including the wives and daughters of the prime minister and president, cover their heads.
In 2008, by amending the Turkish constitution, some relaxation was given to strict restrictions in universities. Then the loosely tied hijab got approval. However, the ban on niqabs covering the neck and full-face continued.
In 2013, Turkey withdrew a ban on women wearing the hijab in national institutions. However, this restriction continued for services like judicial, military, and police.
In 2016, Turkey also allowed female policemen to wear the hijab.
Denmark
Denmark's parliament approved a bill in 2018 to make provision for fines for those wearing full-face coverings. According to this law, if a person is found to have violated this ban for the second time, he will be fined 10 times more than the first time or will be jailed for up to six months. Whereas anyone forcing someone to wear a burqa can be fined or jailed for up to two years.
Ten years earlier, the government announced that it would bar judges from wearing headscarves and other similar religious or political symbols, such as a cross, a cap, or a turban, in courtrooms.
Russia
Wearing the hijab is banned in Russia's Swatropol region. This is the first such ban in Russia. In July 2013, the Supreme Court of Russia upheld this decision.
Switzerland
In 2009, Swiss Justice Minister Evelyn Widmer said a ban should be considered if more women were seen wearing the niqab. In September 2013, 65 percent of people in Ticino, Switzerland, voted in favor of a ban on face coverings in public places by any community. This area is dominated by Italian speaking.
It was the first time such a ban had been imposed in any of Switzerland's 26 provinces.
Out of the 8 million population of Switzerland, about 3 lakh 50 thousand are Muslims.
Bulgaria
In October 2016, Bulgaria's parliament passed a bill according to which women who cover their faces in public places should be fined or the facilities available to them should be cut.
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