Austria To Ban Muslim Burka And Niqab In Public Places,

Muslim face veil in public places, will soon be a thing of the past as Austria is planning to ban the traditions.

This applies to the Muslim burka and niqab, which cover all or most of the face. It was not immediately clear whether the ban would include other non-Muslim garments.

We believe in an open society that is also based on open communication. Full-body veils in public spaces stand against that and will therefore be prohibited,” said the text of the coalition agreement published .

The centrist coalition government said  as it announced a package of policies aimed at countering the growing appeal of the far-right opposition Freedom Party FPO.

The FPO has topped opinion polls for months, boosted by Europe’s migrant crisis and the influx of large numbers of often Muslim asylum seekers, and last month its candidate came close to winning Austria’s presidential election.

The FPO has called for a ban on “fascistic Islam” and Muslim symbols comparable to an existing law that forbids Nasi symbols.

Mainly Catholic Austria is home to around 600,000 Muslims in a total population of about 8.7 million.

Additional Source;  Mirror