BURQA BAN

After Sri Lanka banned burqa following a series of deadly blasts killing 253, the issue has become a debatable topic the world over including India. Here, a political party Shiv Sena has raised the demand.

Globally, burqa has been banned in many countries. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) endorsed burqa ban in December 2015. ECOWAS has 15 countries as its members. These countries have 181 Muslims. It was after terror attacks by terrorists clad in burqa that they took the step.

One of the clear outcome of the December meeting was on clothes that prevents identification of a person. Terror groups including Boko Haram active in that part are using female terrorists clad in burqa for suicide attacks and carrying bombs.

Burqa or niqab are different types of face covering veils worn with a robe like loose fitting dress. Burqa covers the whole face while eyes are uncovered in niqab. Burqas cover a woman’s body from head to toe.

Even if Burqa is not a religious demand of Islam, it is related to traditional values, cultural practices and thus sentimental beliefs. The countries of ECOWAS where burqa has been banned, wearing burqa was not a cultural phenomenon and so had no sentimental quotient to raise protests against it, and so they could ban it without protests.

Unlike Nigeria, an ECOWAS member, where burqa is part of tradition and culture and thus is a matter of wide sentimental belief. According to Pew Research Centre, Christianity and Islam are dominant religions here, Christians at 49.3% and Muslims at 48.8%. So, even if Christians are slightly more than Muslims, Nigeria cannot ban burqa, even though terrorists may use it in suicide attacks, because of its traditional and cultural value in the Muslim society.

How Western African countries are facing this problem can be gauged the by the statement of Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria and a Muslim. He says even a hijab may be banned if terrorists keep using burqa. Hijab covers only head and chest and face is uncovered.

Many European countries have banned burqa due to security even if they haven’t faced any attack by a burqa-clad person. All of them are democratic countries with very small Muslim population. Before banning burqa or face veil, they also decided on religious factors, gender issues and individual choices on wearing burqa. Some of them did it because they wanted social cohesion, cultural assimilation and integration in the country, like integration was a big issue in Germany after Muslim immigration from Middle-East. But security as a major issue was attached in most of these countries.

So, what should be done in India where burqa is a traditional concept with cultural and sentimental value?

Sri Lanka	Nationwide	April 2019	After deadly explosions killing 253
Denmark	Banned burqas and niqabs, nationwide Public spaces Saw protests	August 2018	Security
The Netherlands	Nationwide Schools, hospitals, public transport and government buildings	June 2018	Security
Austria	Nationwide Public spaces	October 2017	Security
Tajikistan	Nationwide Public spaces  97% Muslims	September 2017	Banned hijab – to stop women for wearing Islamic attire
Morocco	Nationwide 99% Muslims	January 2017	Security Bandits use the garment
Bulgaria	Nationwide Public spaces	September 2016	Security
Germany	Partial Public spaces	December 2016	Integration
Switzerland	Partial	July 2016	security
Gabon	Nationwide	September 2016	Security – after Cameroon blast
Cameroon	Partial ban Muslims – 25% - in majority in region where burqa was banned No public opposition	July 2015	Blast by two burqa clad women killing 13
Chad	Nationwide The country’s president called in camouflage Muslims – 53% No public opposition	June 2015	Boko Haram killed  34 people in capital N’Djamena – by a man clad in burqa
Niger	Partial ban Muslims – 80% No public opposition		Southern region affected by Boko Haram – Boko Haram uses female terrorists to carry bombs
Republic of congo	By the president of the country’s Islamic high council	May 2015	Security
Turkey	Till 2013, banned hijabs in state institutions		Ban in judiciary, military and police
France	Nationwide Public places Not much protests from Muslims	April 2011	Social cohesion and security
Belgium	Nationwide Public places	July 2011	Secular society - principles of living together Protection of rights and freedoms of others
Latvia	Nationwide	April 2016	To protect Latvia’s cultural values
Italy	City of Novara fined a woman for wearing burqa  Region Lombardy banned burqas and niqabs from public offices and hospitals in 2015	1975	Cannot cover the face
Spain	Partial - Catalonia bans burqas and niqabs in public spaces	July 2014	Security, integration and co-existence
Russia	Hijabs banned in Stavropol and Mordovia territories Schools and universities		Secular nature of education
China	Xinjiang – a Muslim province burqa and abnormal beards	March 2017	Growing extremism
Malaysia	Niqabs banned for public servants
Syria	Banned burqas and niqabs in universities	July 2010	Increasing Islamic extremism among Muslim students
Kosovo	Hijabs banned in schools 95% Muslims	September 2011	Secular state
Azerbaijan	Hijab banned in schools 97% Muslims	December 2010	To prevent rise of radical Islam

©SantoshChaubey