BERLIN (AP) – Swiss voters gave their verdict on Sunday on a proposal to ban face covering, both niqabs and burqa worn by several Muslim women in the country, as well as ski masks and bandanas worn by protesters. A projection after the close of the polls indicated a very close result.
The measure would ban covering one’s face in public places such as restaurants, sports stadiums, public transport or simply walking on the street. There would be exceptions at religious places and for safety or health reasons, such as the face masks that people now wear to protect against COVID-19, as well as for traditional carnival celebrations. The authorities will have two years to draw up detailed legislation.
The Swiss government opposes the measure and says people covering their faces are a “marginal” problem. He argues that the measure could harm tourism – most Muslim women wearing such veils in Switzerland are visitors from states in the Persian Gulf with heels, which are often attracted to Swiss lakeside cities. And he says it wouldn’t help affected women.
Instead, people need to be asked to show their faces if the authorities ask for it.
Proponents of the proposal, who came to the polls five years after its launch and came to be colloquially known as the “burqa ban,” say full coverage symbolizes women’s repression and says the measure is necessary to support a basic principle that would it must show itself in front of a free society like that of Switzerland.
A projection for the national public broadcaster SRG after the closing of the polls supported the proposal at 51%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Polls ahead of the referendum have suggested that support has eroded in recent weeks and a close result is expected. The proposals need a majority of both voters and cantons to participate in the frequent referendums in Switzerland.
Two of the 26 cantons or states of Switzerland, Ticino and St. Gallen, they already have similar legislation that provides for fines for violations. National legislation would bring Switzerland into line with countries such as Belgium and France, which have already taken similar measures.
Supporters include the nationalist Swiss People’s Party, which is the strongest in parliament and has backed previous measures, such as banning the construction of new minarets that voters approved in 2009.
This time, a coalition of left-leaning parties opposed to the proposal put up signs that read: “Absurd. Useless. Islamophobia ”.