Danish lawmakers ban burqas

 

COPENHAGEN: Denmark on Thursday banned the wearing of face veils in public, effectively restricting the burqa and niqab worn by some Muslim women.

A majority of members of parliament agreed on a so-called clearing agreement that means the ban will be effective from August 1.

First-time offenders will be fined 1,000 Danish crowns ($160). After the fourth violation, the fine will increase to 10,000 crowns.

An Algerian businessman had said earlier in March he would pay all the fines faced by women in Denmark who choose to wear full-face veils, after the Danish government on February 6 proposed a ban on full-face veils in public spaces, Al-Jazeera reported. 

Speaking to Anadolu Agency in front of the Danish parliament, Rasheed Nekkaz had said he had already paid 1,538 fines for women facing similar circumstances in six countries, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Germany.

Nekkaz is famed for paying the fines of women who wear full-face veils or burqas after the garments were banned in many European countries, including France, in 2010.