Brussels: Belgium's vote to ban full face veils in public, the first in Europe, came in for fierce criticism from the country's Muslim council and rights group Amnesty International yesterday.
They condemned Thursday's vote by the House of Representatives to back a bill which considers burqa-type clothing incompatible with basic security.
The ban will be imposed in streets, public gardens and sports grounds or buildings "meant for public use or to provide services" to the public, according to the bill.
People who ignore it could face a fine of 15-25 euros (Dh73-Dh121.50) and/or a jail sentence of up to seven days.
Violate rights
"A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty's expert on discrimination in Europe.
The vice-president of the Muslim Executive of Belgium, Isabelle Praile, warned: "This move to kill our liberties, which will deprive dozens of women of their fundamental rights, is totally over the top and driven by ideology."
Meanwhile, France also plans to jail and impose huge fines on anyone who forces a Muslim woman to wear a full-face veil, according to a proposed law.
While women will face a 150 euro (Dh729) penalty if they choose to don a burqa or a niqab, President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to slap one-year prison terms and 15,000-euro (Dh72,911) fines on those who make others wear them.
