Switzerland approves “Burqa ban” in public spaces

Official results showed the measure had passed by 51.2% to 48.8% in Sunday’s referendum.

In a referendum, the Swiss narrowly approved a ban on wearing the burqa (a garment that covers the entire face and body) and niqab(leaves only the eyes uncovered) in public spaces across the country.

The ban will now be incorporated into the Constitution, twelve years after the construction of minarets was halted. This popular initiative defended with a controversial poster showing a woman in a burqa and missile-shaped minarets in the background.

The initiative came from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) which campaigned with slogans such as “Stop extremism”.

For the proponents, the ban will help prevent acts of violence or terrorists, since people’s faces can be recognized. Opponents say that it is an unnecessary decision and that it will harm tourism.

“Racist and sexist” burqa and niqab ban

The opponents of the “burqa ban” included social movements, and feminist collectives called the ban “racist and sexist.”

The Swiss Government and Parliament were also against this ban, considering that it is a marginal phenomenon in Switzerland, which could have negative effects on tourism and would not really help the women affected. Every year Switzerland receives a tourist clientele from Arab countries with high purchasing power.

According to research by the University of Lucerne (in German), almost no-one in Switzerland wears a burka and only around 30 women wear the niqab. About 5% of Switzerland’s population of 8.6 million people are Muslim, most originating from Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Finally, Switzerland will join France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Austria. European countries that have implemented a ban on facial coverings.