From Reuters
The Dutch government has agreed to introduce a partial ban on the wearing of the full-face veil in public places, the Home Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
The proposed ban, which must be approved by parliament before it can become law, would apply to all face-covering clothing, including ski-masks and helmets, on public transport and in schools, hospitals and government offices.
The measure “had nothing to do with religion,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte told journalists in The Hague last Friday after the proposed measure was passed by the cabinet.
“In a free country like the Netherlands, everyone has the right to dress how they choose, no matter what others think. That freedom is only limited in situations when it is essential for people to look at each other,” the statement said.
Anti-Islam opposition politician Geert Wilders, whose far right policies have won him widespread support among Dutch voters, has long sought a ban on face veils and burqas. Wilders told Dutch television on Friday the proposed measure was “weak”.
