Switzerland to impose Fines of $1,000 for Violating "Burqa Ban"

Anyone who violates the nation’s ban on facial coverings will be fined $1,000, according to a draught bill that the Swiss government has filed to the parliament. The drafted law was published on Wednesday as a result of last year’s referendum vote to ban face coverings.

Despite accusations that it was Islamophobic and misogynistic at the time, the proposed limitation, frequently referred to as the “burqa ban,” was approved by 51.2 percent of voters. Following negotiations, the cabinet lowered requests for the restriction to be included in the criminal code and for offenders to be subject to fines of up to 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000).

Face covering is not allowed to preserve local law and order. According to a statement, punishment is not the priority. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party members who make up the Egerkinger Komitee, which pretends to organize opposition against political Islam’s aspirations to power in Switzerland, are leading the push to ban facial coverings. A person must be able to see their eyes, nose, and mouth when they are in a public place, such as a restaurant, on public transportation, or when walking along the street, according to the law. It doesn’t discuss niqabs or burqas.

A Muslim woman may cover her hair with a hijab, but she is not permitted to wear a burqa, a full-body garment that also conceals the face, or a niqab, which only exposes the eyes. They might go inside places of worship. When doing so is required for safety, comfort, or health, there are additional exceptions to the rule that permit people to wear masks as COVID-19 protection. Muslim organizations have already criticized the ban. According to the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Switzerland, enshrining dress codes in the constitution would be a step backward rather than forward for women, and the discussion has damaged Swiss ideas of neutrality, tolerance, and promoting peace.

5% of Switzerland’s population, or 8.6 million people, are Muslims, with the bulk being from Turkey, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Approximately 30 women are considered to wear the niqab nationwide, according to estimates from the University of Lucerne. The wearing of face coverings is prohibited in five countries, including Switzerland. France outlawed the wearing of a full-face veil in public in 2011, while Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria forbid the wearing of any facial coverings in public (totally or partially). “A terrible regulation that breaches women’s rights, especially the freedom of expression and religion,” is how Amnesty International describes the ban on facial coverings.