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The Sri Lankan Cabinet has agreed a ban on wearing burqas and other full face veils in public, which is almost certain to be approved by Parliament. This follows other measures targeting Muslims and other minorities.
Many in Sri Lanka and internationally condemned this as a breach of human rights. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed, tweeted that burqa bans are incompatible with international law guarantees of the right to manifest one’s religion or belief and of freedom of expression.
Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara had earlier claimed that the burqa affects “national security” and is a “sign of religious extremism”. Yet the ban is likely to damage, rather than improve, national security and is a dangerous distraction from attempts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed it undermines the building of trust which would help the nation to unite to counter the rise in infection, as well as other hazards.
Sri Lanka Cabinet Bans All Forms Of Face Veils Including Burqa, Cites National Security Concerns
A burqa-clad woman. (Representative image)
Amid crackdown on Islamic extremists in Sri Lanka, the cabinet of the island nation on Tuesday (27 April) cleared a proposal to ban all forms of face veils in public places citing national security concerns.
âThe Cabinet has approved the proposal, it will now go to the legal draftsmen and then be brought to parliament,â cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the weekly media conference.
Reacting to the development, Pakistani envoy in Colombo in a tweet said the ban âwill only serve as injury to the feelings of ordinary Sri Lankan Muslims and Muslims across the globeâ.
Sri Lanka Cabinet clears proposal for burqa ban
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Draft law will be tabled in parliament, says cabinet spokesman
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Draft law will be tabled in parliament, says cabinet spokesman Sri Lanka’s Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to ban all forms of face veils in public places “due to national security concerns”.
“The Cabinet has approved the proposal…it will now go to the legal draftsmen and then be brought to parliament,” cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the weekly media conference.
The announcement comes at a time when the government is urging the public to wear face masks dozens of violators have been arrested to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and a likely third wave in Sri Lanka.
Terrorists at large in Sri Lanka, says Buddhist monk
Unresolved issues remain as the nation marks the second anniversary of the Easter attacks
People including priests and nuns hold a demonstration to urge justice for Easter attack victims at Katuwapitiya, Negombo, on April 21. (Photo: Quintus Colombage/UCA News)
As Sri Lanka marked the second anniversary of the Easter terror attacks, a Buddhist monk claimed that trained terrorists are at large in the country.
Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera was speaking at a remembrance ceremony at St. Anthony s Shrine in Kochchikade on April 21. Hundreds of trained terrorists are still at large in the society. We fear that the bombs of those terrorists will ignite at any moment in the society. We have concerns as to whether such attacks will happen at a Buddhist or Hindu temple or a church or a procession, he said.