BURQA BAN CONDEMNED

A human rights organisation has condemned the decision by the Belgium lawmakers to ban Islamic dress codes known as Burqa and Niqab, saying the legislation is in violation of international law. “The proposal to ban the Niqab for the 30 women who chose to wear the veil in Belgium, out of a population of 500,000, serves no real purpose and just shows how the anti-Muslim sentiment is rampant in Belgium,” Massoud Shajareh, director of London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission said. Shajareh described the legislation by Belgium’s lower house of parliament as “secular Talibanisation and an excuse for the targeting of Muslims”. He said the move creates an environment for the escalation of “hate crimes” against Muslims while spreading Islamophobia in Europe. Belgium’s ban on Niqab in public comes at a time where other European countries such as France are also proposing a ban on the Islamic face covering.