Swiss voters back proposal to ban full-face veils in public places
08.03.2021
Voters in Switzerland backed a proposal on Sunday to ban full facial coverings in public places, despite women in Islamic full-face veils being an exceptionally rare sight in Swiss streets. Official results showed that 51.21 percent of voters, and a majority of federal Switzerland's cantons, supported the proposal.
Even though the proposal "Yes to a ban on full facial coverings" does not mention the burka or the niqab – which leaves the eyes uncovered – there is no doubt what the debate concerns. Campaign posters reading "Stop radical Islam!" and "Stop extremism!", featuring a woman in a black niqab, have been plastered around Swiss cities.