Belgian Burqa Ban Comes into Force

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VKL_nrhMHmREf47EocIMq4ZQaqSzI0kA6KH0iFAvXiw1o6CUEx4ICrcKbAilCT1ifekKx7UepzP4H-V9pMbEJ4AUt0guqSkty1UsxiQm5JZrYUYTc6Hm2Vf_pKDwwhmSGbwpNJDQAOM/s1600/burqa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VKL_nrhMHmREf47EocIMq4ZQaqSzI0kA6KH0iFAvXiw1o6CUEx4ICrcKbAilCT1ifekKx7UepzP4H-V9pMbEJ4AUt0guqSkty1UsxiQm5JZrYUYTc6Hm2Vf_pKDwwhmSGbwpNJDQAOM/s320/burqa2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #c7c7c7; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 230;"><a href="http://flic.kr/p/47A5p"><span style="color: #c7c7c7; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 230; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">©flickr.com/justin</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr> </tbody></table><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">BRUSSELS (RIA Novosti) - A ban on wearing the burqa and the niqab in public places came into force in Belgium on Saturday, local media reported.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Offenders will face a possible prison term of up to seven days and a fine of 137.50 euro.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The ban was imposed on the grounds the wearer is not fully identifiable and therefore could be a threat to public security.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Supporters of the law believe it will help the fight against terrorism and also give more rights to Muslim women.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">About 270 Muslim women wear the burqa in Belgium according to local media. Two women filed complaints to the Belgian Constitutional Court on Friday, demanding the ban be rescinded.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">France was the first European Union country to prohibit women from wearing full-face Islamic garments on April 11.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></div>

Belgian Burqa Ban Comes into Force

©flickr.com/justin BRUSSELS (RIA Novosti) - A ban on wearing the burqa and the niqab in public places came into force in Belgium on Satu...

Read more »