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Law to ban burkas highly criticised by government advisors

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Draft legislation aimed at banning burkas in the Netherlands has been heavily criticised by the government’s most important advisory body and needs significant amendments, news agency ANP reports, citing regional newspapers.

The GPD papers, who base their claim on sources in The Hague, say the Council of State delivered its recommendations to the home affairs ministry in November, but the legislation is only due to be sent to parliament this week - eight weeks later.

The Council of State has given the draft law ‘one of the most critical judgments possible’, ANP says. Estimates of how many women wear a burka in the Netherlands range from a handful to around 100.

Manners

Introducing the ban last year, the then home affairs minister Piet Hein Donner compared wearing the all-encompassing Islamic garment to walking around naked. Both conflict with ‘Dutch norms and manners’ Donner said.

Donner will take up his new role as deputy chairman of the Council of State next month.

The draft legislation cannot be withdrawn because a ban on the burka is included in the coalition agreement struck between the minority cabinet and the anti-Islam PVV.

Efforts by the PVV two years ago to introduce a ban were described then by the Council of State as discriminatory and conflicting with the right to freedom of religion. That resulted in the draft legislation being amended to cover all ‘face-covering garments’.

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Readers' comments (7)

Considering that a maxium of about 100 women are wearing this harmless piece of clothing, this is simply another waste of time and tax money from our friends at the PVV; such a positive and productive little group they are!

By Bill | January 24, 2012 9:04 AM

I really cannot understand "banning the burka". That is just ideological anti-islam. The law should simply forbid people (anyone) to go around with their face covered - for public safety. That would include the burka and has nothing to do with religion

By Leon | January 24, 2012 10:50 AM

Speaking only from the financial standpoint, it is ridiculous for the government to be spending a huge amount of taxpayers money to enact legislation that will only pertain to about 100 people. If you also consider the amount of money that it will take to enforce and prosecute this law and the appeals that will most certainly be made to the European Court of Human Rights and potentially the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, this is going to cost all of us a lot of money for no real value.

By Quest | January 24, 2012 1:29 PM

I don't see why not. If women go to Saudi, they are required to obey local custom there and cover up. When they are here, they should follow the norm here. Doesn't the Koran state that women should not stand out? As far as I know, there is no explicit statement about having to cover your face. Interpretations.

By openmind | January 24, 2012 5:27 PM

The Muslim religion or the culture doesn't require Women to wear the burka. Besides, the point is not how many women wear the burka here in the Netherlands -- whether it's one or one million -- the point is that no one should walk around in public with their facial features concealed for security and legal reasons.

By Quince | January 24, 2012 10:41 PM

Piet Hein Donner compared wearing the all-encompassing Islamic garment to walking around naked. Both conflict with ‘Dutch norms and manners’ Donner said.
So also in Sydney an Islamic clergyman compared women not decently dressed (according to his ideas!) as so many "slabs of meat".
Quite obviously there are idiots on both sides of the fence!!

By theo orval | January 25, 2012 10:50 AM

@theo

Totally agree... too many idiots on both sides of the fence...

Anyway, what is "Dutch norms and manners"?... maybe I have just had a bad week, but Dutch norms seem to include passing the buck, not taking responsibility for anything, pushing in front of people in lines and just generally being impolite...

By bunny | January 25, 2012 2:17 PM