The Dutch government on Friday agreed to introduce a partial ban on the wearing of full-face veils 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 clarified to journalists in The Hague 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”.
Only a few hundred women in the Netherlands veil themselves completely, but Rutte said such laws were needed to “enforce values” of Dutch society.
France banned full-face veils in 2010, in a move that was upheld last year by the European Court of Human Rights.
That proves secularism has failed to absorb all religions.
'''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'''
Self contradictory BS. You cannot have freedom if you are imposing ban on religious freedom.
It is the custom to look someone in the face whilst talking to them in Europe. This wearing of the face veil is not essential to Islam, why do it. I wish they would pass such a Law in UK, but they will not. I refuse to talk to any woman wearing a face veil. Each time I go to the shops I am seen by 3 CCTV cameras, how the hell do you know WHAT is under a veil. We have had snatch and grab of high class jewelry stores in London, all done by Burqa wearing males. One of the 7/7 bombers escaped to Italy wearing a Burqa. Let us see your faces so that we know who you are.
You make no sense. Europe is a mixture of different communities and cultures. One cannot force ones customs on others. If security is the excuse there could be a law that those having their faces covered for any reason i.e. ski mask in cold weather, Halloween mask, religious , personal etc could be ordered to lift their face wear for identification to police. Ban on face veil is plain irrational racist policy.
Netherlands is proving to be an oppressive state by passing this far-right appeasing legislation. It busts the myth of their secularism.
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