In most public places, Switzerland has voted to ban full-face wear, including the niqab and burqa.
CNN reports that the disputed referendum passed with 52.21 percent of the vote. It will ban the wearing of full face ings from publicly accessible places, including streets, public offices, public transport, restaurants and shops.
Exceptions will be made for places of worship, holy places and for health and safety reasons. However, no exceptions will be made for tourists.
The referendum has been criticized by religious groups, human rights groups and the federal government, according to CNN reports. Both the Swiss Federal Council, the Federal Government of Switzerland and the Swiss Parliament advised voters to support the referendum.
Critics also argue that almost no one wears a burqa in Switzerland and that the number of people wearing a niqab is at least in the dozens, so the proposal is unavoidable.
According to CNN, the proposal was introduced by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party and although it does not refer to Islam, it is referred to in the Swiss media as the “veil ban.”
“Swiss voters have once again approved an initiative that discriminates specifically with a religious community, unnecessarily increasing divisions and fears,” Amnesty International said in a statement opposing the results.
The public veil has been banned in several European countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands. CNN notes that the UN Human Rights Committee has said the measures violate the human rights of Muslim women and as a result “they are locked up in their homes.”
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