Hijab and burqa controversies in Europe

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Headscarves for sale at Whitechapel market in London, E1 Europe burka bans as of 2020 National ban – country bans women from wearing full-face veils in public Local ban – cities or regions ban full-face veils Partial ban – government bans full-face veils in some locations Islamic dress in Europe , especially the variety of headdresses worn by Muslim women , has become a prominent symbol of the presence of Islam in western Europe . In several countries, the adherence to hijab (an Arabic noun meaning "to cover") has led to political controversies and proposals for a legal ban. Some countries already have laws banning the wearing of masks in public, which can be applied to veils that conceal the face. Other countries are debating similar legislation, or have more limited prohibitions. Some of them apply only to face-covering clothing such as the burqa , boushiya , or niqab ; some apply to any clothing with an Islamic religious symbolism such as the khimar , a type of headscarf . The issue has different names in different countries, and "the veil" or hijab may be used as general terms for the debate, representing more than just the veil itself, or the concept of modesty embodied in hijab . Although the Balkans and Eastern Europe have indigenous Muslim populations, most Muslims in western Europe are members of immigrant communities. The issue of Islamic dress is linked with issues of immigration and the position of Islam in western society. In November 2006, European Commissioner Franco Frattini said that he did not favour a ban on the burqa. This is apparently the first official statement on the issue of prohibition of Islamic dress from the European Commission , the executive of the European Union . The reasons given for prohibition vary. Legal bans on face-covering clothing are often justified on security grounds, as an anti- terrorism measure. in 2006, British Prime Minister Tony Blair described it as a "mark of separation". Visible symbols of a non-Christian culture conflict with the national identity in European states, which assumes a shared culture. Proposals for a ban may be linked to other related cultural prohibitions as Dutch politician Geert Wilders proposed a ban on hijabs , in Islamic schools , in new mosques , and in non-western immigration. In France and Turkey, the emphasis is on the secular nature of the state , and the symbolic nature of the Islamic dress, and bans apply at state institutions (courts, civil service ) and in state-funded education (in France, while the law forbidding the veil applies to students attending publicly funded primary schools and high schools, it does not refer to universities; applicable legislation grants them freedom of expression as long as public order is preserved). These bans also cover Islamic headscarves, which in some other countries are seen as less controversial, although law court staff in the Netherlands are also forbidden to wear Islamic headscarves on grounds of state neutrality. An apparently less politicised argument is that in specific professions (teaching), a ban on "veils" ( niqab ) is justified since face-to-face communication and eye contact is required. This argument has featured prominently in judgements in Britain and the Netherlands, after students or teachers were banned from wearing face-covering clothing. Public and political response to such prohibition proposals is complex since by definition they mean that the government decides on individual clothing. Some non-Muslims, who would not be affected by a ban, see it as an issue of civil liberties as a slippery slope leading to further restrictions on private life. A public opinion poll in London showed that 75 percent of Londoners support "the right of all persons to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs". In a more recent poll in the United Kingdom by Pew Research Center , 62% said they would approve of a ban on full veils (covering everything but the eyes). The same poll showed support by majorities in France (82%), Germany (71%) and Spain (59%) The 2010 French law against covering the face in public, known as the "Burqa ban", was challenged and taken to the European Court of Human Rights which upheld the law on 1 July 2014, accepting the argument of the French government that the law was based on "a certain idea of living together". There are currently 6 nations in Europe that have banned the burqa, Austria , Denmark , France , Belgium , Latvia , and Bulgaria . Employers in the EU may restrict the wearing of religious symbos if such regulations on appearance are applied in a consistent manner, according to a ruling by the European Court of Justice in a case involving two Belgian women. The two women in the ECJ case were supported by the Open Society Justice Initiative , a group backed by financier George Soros . Blair's concerns over face veils BBC News Online . 17 October 2006. "A European government has banned Islamic face veils despite them being worn by just three women" . 21 April 2016 .

Hijab and burka controversies in Europe revolve around the variety of headdresses worn by Muslim women , which have become prominent symbols of the presence of Islam in especially Western Europe . In several countries, the adherence to hijab (an Arabic noun meaning "to cover") has led to political controversies and proposals for a legal partial or full ban in some or all circumstances. Some countries already have laws banning the wearing of masks in public, which can be applied to veils that conceal the face. Other countries are debating similar legislation, or have more limited prohibitions. Some of them apply only to face-covering clothing such as the burqa , boushiya , or niqab ; some apply to any clothing with an Islamic religious symbolism such as the khimar , a type of headscarf . The issue has different names in different countries, and "the veil" or hijab may be used as general terms for the debate, representing more than just the veil itself, or the concept of modesty embodied in hijab .

Hijab and burqa controversies in Europe revolve around public reactions and opposition to the variety of headdresses worn by Muslim women , which have become prominent symbols of the presence of Islam in especially Western Europe . Although Muslim communities have long existed in parts of Eastern Europe, particularly the Balkans, the Muslim populations of Western Europe are largely the result of more recent immigration. Nevertheless, in several European countries, the wearing of these garments has led to political controversies and proposals for legal restrictions, ranging from partial to full bans. Some countries already have laws banning the wearing of masks in public, which can be applied to veils that conceal the face. Other countries are debating similar legislation, or have more limited prohibitions. Some of them apply only to face-covering clothing such as the burqa , boushiya , or niqab ; some apply to any clothing with an Islamic religious symbolism such as the khimar , a type of headscarf . The issue has different names in different countries, and "the veil" or hijab may be used as general terms for the debate, representing more than just the veil itself, or the concept of modesty embodied in Hijab . Islamic civilization and Muslim networks.