Switzerland has narrowly voted to ban full coverage, including niqabs and burqa, in most public spaces.
CNN reports that the controversial referendum was adopted with 52.21 percent of the vote. It prohibits full coverage of the face from places accessible to the public, including streets, public offices, public transport, restaurants and shops.
Exceptions will be made for places of worship, sacred places and for reasons of health and safety. However, no exceptions will be made for tourists.
The referendum was criticized by religious groups, human rights groups and the federal government, CNN reports. The Swiss Federal Council, the Swiss Federal Government and the Swiss Parliament have advised voters not to support the referendum.
Critics also argue that since almost no one in Switzerland wears a burqa and the number of people wearing the niqab is at least in the tens, the proposal is essentially useless.
The proposal was put forward by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party and, although it does not mention Islam, it was referred to as a “burqa ban” in the Swiss media, according to CNN.
Amnesty International spoke out against the results of the vote, saying in a statement: “Swiss voters have once again endorsed an initiative that discriminates against a particular religious community, fueling division and fear unnecessarily.”
Public burqa bans have been adopted in several European countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands. CNN notes that the United Nations Human Rights Committee has said the measures violate the human rights of Muslim women and could lead to “limiting them to their homes.”