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http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/netherlands-niqab-ban-partial-150522144420609.html
The Netherlands Approves Partial Niqab Ban
Prime Minister Mark Rutte says ban on face-veils in public buildings and transport does not target religious groups.
Unlike in France, the Dutch ban on face veils
will be limited to schools, hospitals, and public transport [Getty]
22 May 2015 - The Dutch cabinet has approved a partial ban on
wearing the face-covering Islamic veil, including in schools, hospitals and on
public transport.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte told journalists on Friday the ban
does not apply to wearing the niqab on the street, but only "in specific
situations where it is essential for people to be seen" or for security reasons.
Rutte said the government had "tried to find a balance
between people's freedom to wear the clothes they want and the importance
of mutual and recognisable communication."
The prime minister said the bill, which was initiated by the
Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk, did not have a "religious
background".
A previous bill banning the veil even on the street and dating
from Rutte's last government, which was supported by anti-Islam activist Geert
Wilders, will be withdrawn.
The government said it "sees no reason for a general ban
that would apply to all public places," the AFP news agency reported
It was agreed that a new bill would be drawn up by the coalition
partners of Rutte's Liberal VVD party and the Labour PvdA when they formed
their coalition in 2012.
Those flouting the ban can be fined up to 405 euros (around
$450).
State broadcaster NOS said that between 100 and 500 women in the
Netherlands wear the burqa, most of them only occasionally.
Neighboring France and Belgium have more restrictive bans
targeting those who wear face-veils, not allowing people to wear face-veils in
public.
A number of far-right movements across the continent have made
the banning of the niqab a political objective.