04 May 2010

A Swiss canton on Tuesday passed legislation preparing the groundwork for a possible ban on the Islamic burqa

The local council in Aargau, a canton (state) in the north of Switzerland along the German border, voted overwhelmingly to work on a state initiative to make wearing the burqa in public places illegal. Most major parties backed the move.

Pushing the motion forward, the centrist and right wing parties in favour said the garment was a "symbol of male dominance over women," according to the Swiss news agency SDA. The parties also said the full body veil prevents the integration of migrants into Swiss society. [The Earth Times] Read more [via Islamophobia Watch]