Dutch lawmakers look into partial niqab ban

Legislation expected to sail through Dutch Parliament's lower house

Following the example of other European countries such as France and Belgium, Dutch lawmakers on Wednesday debated banning face covering headwear in government buildings and health-and-education settings.



The move would outlaw veils in places such as schools, hospitals, and on public transportation. Although only a small number of Muslim women wear the concealing full-face coverings, successive governments have sought to ban the niqab.

Speaking about the initiative, Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said the Dutch proposal did not go as far as the complete bans in France and Belgium. He called the legislation "religion-neutral", but acknowledged the debate about people wearing veils on Dutch streets had played a major role in the proposal.

Plasterk said in a free country such as the Netherlands people should be allowed to appear in public with their faces covered, if they want to, however in government buildings and in health and education settings - such as hospitals and schools - people need to be able to look each other in the face.

It is not yet clear when the  lawmakers would vote on the issue. If the legislation passes the Parliament's lower house as expected, it will need to be approved by the Senate before becoming law.



An opponent of the legislation, Fatma Koser Kaya of the centrist D66 party, said the law was pointless because many institutions in the Netherlands already had the power to prevent women from wearing veils and headscarves in certain situations.

"What are we banning today?" she asked. "This is symbolic lawmaking ... because in practice it already happens."

This article originally appeared on Al Jazeera.