Denmark bans full-face veils in public

Danish lawmakers have passed a ban on wearing items of clothing in public that conceal the face, which includes some forms of Islamic dress. The government says, however, that the law is not aimed at religions.

Danish lawmakers have passed a ban on wearing items of clothing in public that conceal the face, which includes some forms of Islamic dress. The government says, however, that the law is not aimed at religions.

Denmark’s parliament on Thursday approved a law forbidding the wearing of garments covering the face in public, joining a number of European countries that have already introduced such bans.

The law is being seen by many as targeting the dress worn by some conservative Muslim women, such as the niqab or burqa, and is being introduced amid concerns about growing Islamophobia in Europe.

Human rights group Amnesty International has called the ban “a discriminatory violation of women’s rights,” saying that “all women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity of beliefs.”