British right-wing political party UKIP is reportedly mulling a call to ban the wearing of the burqa and the niqab, after claiming the clothing is an affront to British values.
It would be the first national party to call for a total ban on burqas, although the far-right British National Party believes they should be banned from schools.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch, the leader of UKIP, told The Times: “We are taking expert advice on how we could do it. It makes sense to ban the burka — or anything which conceals a woman’s face — in public buildings. But we want to make it possible to ban them in private buildings. It isn’t right that you can’t see someone’s face in an airport.”
The party is also keen to address the influence of Sharia law in Britain, he told the newspaper.
“We are not Muslim bashing, but this is incompatible with Britain’s values of freedom and democracy.”
UKIP is to make an announcement on Sunday denouncing the burqa as a threat to gender equality and a danger to public safety, as terrorists could use them to conceal their identity, the newspaper said.
In the European elections last June, UKIP secured the second largest share of the vote, more than 16 percent. The party is keen to win its first Westminster seats in the UK’s general election later this year.
It is the latest in a string of political moves across Europe to restrict the wearing of the burqa.
In France, President Sarkozy is backing a ban on the wearing of full veils on state premises, including hospitals and universities. A law was passed in 2004 banning headscarves in schools.
In Denmark, conservatives have demanded a ban on the burqa and niqab in public places. Further afield, the Muslim Canadian Congress in October called for full veils to be outlawed, arguing they have “no basis in Islam”.
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