BERLIN (AP) – Swiss voters handed down their verdict on Sunday over a proposal to ban face-covers, both niqabs and burqas worn by some Muslim women in the country, and ski masks and bandanas worn by protesters. A projection after closing the polls pointed to a very close result.
The measure would prohibit covering one’s face in public places such as restaurants, sports stadiums, public transport or simply walking down the street. There would be exceptions in religious places and for safety or health reasons, such as the face masks that people now wear to protect themselves against COVID-19, as well as for traditional Carnival celebrations. Authorities would have two years to draft detailed legislation.
The Swiss government opposes the measure and says people covering their faces are a “marginal” issue. He argues that the measure could harm tourism: Most Muslim women wearing this veil in Switzerland are visitors to Persian Gulf states with heels, which are often attracted to the cities of the Swiss lake. And he says it would not help the affected women.
Instead, people are required to show their face if the authorities request it.
Proponents of the proposal, which is being voted on five years after its launch and has been colloquially known as the “burqa ban,” argue that full coverage symbolizes the repression of women and say that the measure is needed to uphold a basic principle that should be shown in a free society like Switzerland.
A projection for the national public broadcaster SRG after closing the polls placed support for the proposal at 51%, with a margin of error of more or less 3 percentage points. Pre-referendum polls had suggested that support had eroded in recent weeks and a near-term result was expected. The proposals need a majority of voters and cantons to approve the frequent referendums in Switzerland.
Two of the 26 cantons or states of Switzerland, Ticino and St. Gallen, already have similar legislation providing for fines for transgressions. National legislation would align Switzerland with countries such as Belgium and France that have already taken similar measures.
Among the sponsors is the nationalist Swiss People’s Party, which is the strongest in parliament and supported earlier measures such as a ban on the construction of new minarets that voters approved in 2009.
This time, a coalition of left-wing parties that opposes the proposal has put up signs that said: “Absurd. Useless. Islamophobic ”.