As said by the Sri Lankan Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera in his Facebook post, citing the National Security grounds cabinet has approved a proposed ban on wearing full-face veils including Muslim burqas in public.
In the past, he has also said, burqas, a garment that covers the body and face worn by some Muslim women, is a “sign of religious extremism.” Sri Lanka which has 9 percentage of Muslims in its population, wearing burqas was temporarily banned in 2019 after Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks killed more than 260 people.
The proposal will now be sent to the Attorney General’s Department and must be approved by parliament to become law. As the government holds a majority in parliament the proposal could easily be passed. United Nations experts comment that banning burqas in public places would violate international law.
