Swiss Voters Approve Ban on Face Coverings in Public Spaces

Wearing a headscarf, the burqa, the niqab, hunting or hooligan hoods, to conceal one’s face in public space is no longer possible in Switzerland. This result is not surprising, given the success of favorable opinions on this decision since the start of the campaign. This proposal from the Egerkingen Committee has the full veil more in its sights, seeing it as a fundamentalist Islam not in line with the values of democracy.

For their part, the opponents, namely the Federal Council, Parliament and the main religious organizations, still maintain that this text is not in line with the principles of freedom and believe that it is a stigmatization of the Muslim minority. But Belgium, France, Austria, Bulgaria and Denmark already prohibit the full veil on their territory.