World

Norway proposes ban on full-face veils in schools

Employees who insist on wearing a veil would risk losing their jobs, and students could face expulsion from university

Reuters June 12, 2017

Employees who insist on wearing a veil would risk losing their jobs, and students could face expulsion from university. PHOTO: REUTERS

OSLO: Norway aims to ban face-covering Muslim veils in kindergartens, schools and universities, the government said on Monday, the latest European nation to propose restrictions on wearing burqas and niqabs.

France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria and the German state of Bavaria have all imposed restrictions on wearing full-face veils in public places.

Islamic Council of Norway criticised for appointing niqab-wearing spokesperson

Norway's minority government, a coalition of the centre-right Conservatives and the populist Progress Party, said it was confident it would find opposition support for the move. "We have every reason to believe this will be approved by parliament," Education Minister Torbjoern Roe Isaksen told Reuters.

Norway, which will hold elections on September 11, will be the first country in the Nordics to introduce a ban on burqas for both adults and children.

Morocco bans production and sale of burqas: reports

"Face-covering garment such as the niqab or burqa do not belong in Norwegian schools. The ability to communicate is a basic value," acting Minister of Immigration and Integration, Per Sandberg, told a news conference.

Employees who insist on wearing a veil would risk losing their jobs, and students could face expulsion from university, he added.

COMMENTS (8)

khan | 7 years ago | Reply One should respect the laws of the country it went to make living for him/herself.

Mirza | 7 years ago | Reply In this age of increasing terrorism identification is not a religious but security matter. It is not a matter of choice or freedom but safety and security of the public just like smoking is not banned because of lack of freedom or choice but public health.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

hzr | 7 years ago | Reply @Mohammed Mirza: Ther are more than 50 beautiful muslim nations where you can move and live like the good muslim you wish to be

Mohammed Mirza | 7 years ago | Reply Look at France and United Kingdom islam is rising. The irony part is that the reverts are better muslims than us. Thats why they are better muslims than us and wear the full niqab. Those that oppose to the niqaab im sorry to say that we arent good muslims. @Umair if you ask an aalim he will guide you. Here in South Africa theres lot of pardah ladies that can drive alone so take that mentality out. It works in Saudi Arabia

Haji Atiya | 7 years ago | Reply @Umair: Agreed, some people have taken it upon themselves to portray their interpretation of Islam as a laughing stock. Wearing of a veil is in fact a pre-Islamic tribal tradition.

Maximus | 7 years ago | Reply Fully agree with the proposed ban on full veil. We are not living in stone age !

Opinion | 7 years ago | Reply As a Pakistani based in the Nordics, I fully endorse and support this view from the Norwegian authorities. Face covering veil is in complete contradiction with values in this part of the world and if people choose to move to these parts of the world without making an effort to integrate, there is no place or space for them here. Of course those, who consider this a violation of their rights should consider moving to countries where niqab is encouraged while you are robbed of your very basic human freedom such as going out to market without a "mehrem" or being able to drive a car.

Umair | 7 years ago | Reply Nowhere in the Koran does it say a women must were a veil. Just as the Koran does not tell us how to pray. You can worship like a sufi or in a mosque.

Replying to X