Belgian Court Upholds Ban on Muslim Full-Face Veil

A Belgian ban on wearing a full-face niqab veil in public has been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights.

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A statement from the court's ruling said the restriction aims to guarantee social cohesion, the "protection of the rights and freedoms of others," explaining that it was "necessary in a democratic society."

Belgium banned the wearing of the full-face veil under a June 2011 law, which prohibits any public appearance "with a face masked or hidden, in whole or in part, in such a way as to be unidentifiable."

Violations of the ban can result in fines or up to seven days in jail.

The case was brought by two Muslim women, Samia Belcacemi, a Belgian national, and Yamina Oussar, a Moroccan.

Both women said they chose of their own free will to wear the niqab and claimed their rights had been infringed upon and the law was discriminatory.

Following the ban, Belcacemi continued wearing the veil for some time but stopped because of social pressure and fears of being fined.

France was the first European country to ban the niqab in April 2011. The government banned all “conspicuous” religious symbols, including the Muslim headscarf, from public institutions in 2004. Since then four towns have progressed to banning the burkini as well, which is swimsuit worn by some women.

The Netherlands has a partial ban on the face veil and does not permit it in government buildings, hospitals, schools or public transport.

Spain has a ban on all face-covering headgear in certain parts of Catalonia.

Italy does not have a national ban but Novara, a region in northwest Italy, imposed fines on wearing clothing that impedes identification in 2010.