Parliament OKs ban on full facial veils in public

Austria has banned wearing a full facial veil in public places, the latest move by a European country to restrict expressions of Muslim identity viewed as contrary to Western secular values. The decision immediately drew criticism from rights advocates and from representatives of Austria’s Muslim community.

Under the new legislation, approved by parliament on Tuesday, women who wear clothing that covers their faces, such as burqas or niqabs, in places like universities, public transportation or courthouses will face fines of about $167. The measure will take effect in October.

The ban is part of legislation meant to improve the integration of immigrants, according to Muna Duzdar, a state secretary in the office of Chancellor Christian Kern. Other elements of the legislation include mandatory integration courses, Germanlanguage lessons and requirements that asylum seekers do unpaid work while awaiting the processing of their claims. Under the new law, migrants who do not meet the requirements could see their welfare benefits slashed.

Analysts said the new law appeared to be at least partially calculated to try to defuse the growing influence of the far-right anti-immigrant Freedom Party. (On Tuesday, it criticized the legislation, saying it did not go far enough.)

Sevgi Kircil, a member of Austria’s Muslim community, said the new restrictions were an infringement on individual privacy and a reckless “intervention in religious freedom and the freedom of expression.” Earlier this year, thousands of Muslim women took to the streets of Vienna to protest the proposed law.