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Majority of Danes want to ban burqa: survey

Less than a quarter of Danes oppose a ban on the burqa and niqab, according to a new survey.

Published: 29 September 2017 10:57 CEST
Majority of Danes want to ban burqa: survey
Stock photo: Iris/Scanpix

A majority of the population support banning the two types of Islamic veil in public, according to an opinion poll carried out by Epinion on behalf of broadcaster DR.

According to the poll, 62 percent said they support a full ban on wearing the burqa and niqab in public, while 23 percent said the veils should continue to be allowed.

12 percent responded ‘do not know’ while three percent declined to answer the question.

Last week, a Danish model agency announced it had hired the country’s first hijab-wearing model.

But discussion of a potential ban against the face-covering burqa resurfaces regularly in Danish political debate, and the autumn 2017 parliamentary session looks set to be no exception.

The populist Danish People’s Party (DF) is set to propose a potential ban on the burqa and niqab when parliament opens – the fourth time the party has taken such a step, reports DR.

DF immigration spokesperson Martin Henriksen told broadcaster DR that he saw the result of the poll as sign of support for his party’s position.

“It is very positive. It show the debate is moving forwards and means the other parties at [Danish parliament, ed.] Christiansborg are also catching on. At least, I hope they are,” Henriksen said.

Critics of the ban say that a ban would only serve to further isolate from Danish society women who currently wear the two types of veil.

A ban on the burqa, while previously rejected in Denmark as being in breach of the country’s constitution, may nevertheless have become more viable since European Court rulings in cases in France and Belgium.

Amongst Denmark’s other conservatives parties, the official position on the issue varies. The Liberal Alliance party is against a ban, the Conservatives support it, while senior coalition government party the Liberal (Venstre) party remains undecided, with some of its MPs in support of and others against the ban, reports DR.

The opposition Social Democrat party leader Mette Frederiksen has previously said that she was prepared to “discuss” a potential ban on the burqa and niqab.

Social Democrat MP Mattias Tesfaye, a member of parliament’s immigration committee (Udlændinge- og Integrationsudvalget), told DR that he was not surprised by the result of the poll.

“I am provoked myself when I see a woman in a burqa. Not so much by the woman, but by what it stands for. I actually perceive it as a form of prison,” Tesfaye said.

The MP added that his party “had not clarified its position in regard to whether it supports a general ban”.

The actual number of people who wear either the burqa or niqab in Denmark is not known precisely, according to DR’s report.

The most recent figures come from 2010, when a government report estimated the number to be between 150 and 200 women, with the majority of these wearing the niqab, rather than the burqa. Niqabs have a slit through which the wearer’s eyes can be seen, while burqas cover the face entirely, with the wearer seeing through a mesh in the material.

READ ALSO: Danish party corrects spokesperson on burka ban

REFERENDUM

EXPLAINED: What is Switzerland’s ‘anti-burqa’ initiative all about?

Swiss voters will go to the ballot box on March 7th to weigh in on three issues. One of the most controversial ones is the so-called ‘anti-burqa’ initiative.

Published: 1 March 2021 16:13 CET
Updated: 2 March 2021 09:02 CET
EXPLAINED: What is Switzerland’s ‘anti-burqa’ initiative all about?
A campaign poster to ban burqas in Switzerland. Photo by Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

What is this issue about?

The ‘Yes to a ban on full facial coverings’ initiative seeks to outlaw both religious and non-religious forms of facial concealment in public spaces.

It is ironic, of course, that currently everyone from the age of 12 must be wearing masks which, in itself, are a form of facial concealment.

OPINION: Switzerland’s ‘burka ban’ curtails rather than strengthens individual freedoms

However, this particular initiative applies to total disguise, as in burqa or niqab, both of which cover women’s faces to different degrees.

Exemptions would apply to religious sites, health reasons or in the event of particular weather conditions.

Who is backing this initiative?

A group called the Egerkingen Committee is behind the drive to outlaw burqas and other forms of Muslim wear that conceal the face.

The group consists of members of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which has a long history of anti-Muslim actions, including the highly contentious 2009 referendum to ban the construction of minarets on Switzerland’s mosques.

The measure was accepted by Swiss voters. 

“The full veil is closely linked to radical Islamist ideology and is contrary to our way of life,” said Walter Wobmann, chairman of the Egerkingen committee. “

“In our culture, it is customary to show your face in public space. Hiding your face violates social order”, he noted.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What is at stake in Switzerland’s March 7th referendums? 

Who is opposing this measure?

All of Switzerland’s other major political parties have spoken against the ban.

Centrist and left-leaning parties have formed a committee which campaigns against this move.

“Clothing regulations have no place in the Federal Constitution. The initiative tackles a false problem, ignores existing rules and stokes social tensions. In addition, it intrudes on private life and does not take into account cantonal disparities. Politicians from all major parties therefore oppose this populist proposal”, the committee wrote on its website.

The government is also urging voters to defeat this proposal, arguing that it goes too far.

Instead, the Federal Council and the parliament have created a counter-proposal, which require persons to show their faces to the police or other officials if this is necessary for identification purposes.

“The counter-proposal, which can only come into force if the initiative is rejected, would also introduce measures aimed at improving women’s rights,” authorities said.

Are burqas really a problem in Switzerland?

The opponents of the initiative point out that in Switzerland, no woman wears what is called ‘burqa’, that is to say, a full veil that also hides the eyes with a grid.

“According to a recent study, in addition to Arab tourists, there are 20 to 30 women in Switzerland wearing the niqab. The majority of niqab wearers in Switzerland are socialised in the West, have an average to very good education and wear the niqab out of conviction”, not to spearhead radical Muslim ideas, they say.

In all, Muslims account for just over 5 percent of Switzerland’s population of 8.6 million people, and form the third largest religion group after the dominant Roman Catholic and Protestant communities, although just 50,000 are estimated to worship openly.

READ MORE: Switzerland to hold a referendum on ending coronavirus restrictions 

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