Ljubica Vujadinovic
After France and Belgium, Italy is set to be the next European Union state to introduce a law banning women from wearing veils that cover their faces in public, including burqa, naqib or any other garb that covers the face in such circumstances.
The draft legislation was sponsored by Souad Sbai, a Moroccan-born member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s anti-immigration Northern League.
The bill, which was passed by the Italian MPs panel Tuesday, is to go to a parliamentary vote after the summer break in September. Since Berlusconi’s central-right coalition holds a majority in both upper and lower houses of the Italian parliament, it is expected the ban will be approved.
"Final approval will put an end to the suffering of many women who are often forced to wear the burqa or niqab, which annihilates their dignity and gets in the way of integration", said lawmaker Barbara Saltamartini from Berlusconi's People of Freedom party.
However, the Italian opposition didn’t support the move, stating the proposed bill violates human rights.
If passed, the women who defied the ban would face a fine of 150-300 euros, and some kind of community service, the Italian Ansa news agency reported. Sentence for those who forced someone else to wear the covering would be much higher - 30,000 euros fine and up to 12 months in prison.
August 02, 2011, All voice
