The Dutch cabinet has approved a proposal for a partial ban on Islamic veils in public areas such as schools and hospitals as well as on public transportation. This ban will make it the third country in Europe to prohibit the burqa.
In a statement issued Friday after the Dutch cabinet approved a bill by interior minister Ronald Plasterk, the government said: “Face-covering clothing will in future not be accepted in education and healthcare institutions, government buildings and on public transport.”
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, told journalists after a cabinet meeting that the ban was intended for security reasons or “in specific situations where it is essential for people to be seen,” but would not apply to wearing the burqa or niqab on the street. He added: “The bill does not have any religious background.”
In approving the ban, the government explained that it had attempted “to find a balance between people’s freedom to wear the clothes they want and the importance of mutual and recognisable communication.”
It is estimated that between 100 and 500 women in the Netherlands would be effected by the ban.
Sources: Telegraph, The Guardian