Burqa by country
[5] In autumn 2017, the Danish government considered adopting a law prohibiting people to wear "attire and clothing masking the face in such a way that it impairs recognizability".
[6] The proposal was met with support from the three largest political parties[7] and was passed into law on 31 May 2018, becoming § 134 c of the Danish Penal Code, stating that "[a]ny person who in a public place wears a item of clothing that covers said person's face shall be liable to a fine" with an exception for coverings that serve "a creditable purpose" (e.g. sports equipment, protection against the cold, masks for carnivals, masquerades, etc.).
According to the ban, wearing a burqa or a niqab in public can lead to a fine of 1000 kroner (~US$156) in the case of first time offences, rising to 10,000 kr.
The proposed ban was extremely controversial, with both sides of the political spectrum being split on the issue, some people arguing that the law goes against religious freedom and is racist because it affects mostly Muslim women and Jewish men.
[16] The committee came to the determination in 2018 that the case had been incorrectly dismissed after review by a single judge on the grounds that, "the conditions of admissibility laid down in articles 34 and 35 of the Convention [had] not been met."
[22] The burqa ban came into force on 1 August 2019 in schools, public transport, hospitals and government buildings, but there are doubts over whether it will be applied in practice.
Peters said: "You are not going to stop the bus for half an hour for someone wearing a burqa", waiting for the police to arrive; "we are also not allowed to refuse anyone because we have a transport obligation".
[26][27] In July 2024, the niqab and other full face veils were temporarily banned in the Muslim-majority republic of Dagestan by the Muftiate, an Islamic authority.
[30] Earlier, in September 2013, a constitutional referendum in the Canton of Ticino on a popular initiative banning full-face veils was approved with 66.2% of the vote.
[33] In 2018, the government passed a law banning the wearing of full face-veils, called burqas or niqabs, for female public servants while at work.
[42][43][44] Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, Grand Imam of al-Azhar, issued a fatwa in October 2009 arguing that veiling of the face is not required under Islam.
On 27 December 2024, Kyrgyzstan's parliament specifically approved a ban on wearing the niqab, a full-face Islamic veil, in public places.
The government justified the measure by arguing that the niqab was not part of traditional Kyrgyz culture and claimed it was necessary to protect national identity and security.
[49] On 22 January 2025, President Sadyr Zhaparov signed the law "On Amendments to a Number of Legislative Religious Acts of the Kyrgyz Republic," officially enforcing the ban.
The law, which was also posted on his official website, prohibited clothing that obscures a person's face, except in cases related to work requirements or medical reasons.
[54] In 2010, Ghiyath Barakat, Syria's minister of higher education, announced a ban on women wearing full-face veils at universities.
[55] However, the ban strictly addresses veils that cover the head and mouth, and does not include hijabs, or headscarfs, which most Syrian women wear.
However, in September 2023, the government imposed a ban on wearing face-covering garments like the burqa in specific public spaces for security reasons.
[60] Additionally, authorities enforced restrictions on wearing beards and hijabs in schools, requiring female students to remove headscarves before entering educational institutions.
[65] On 15 July 2015, Gabon announced a ban on the wearing of full-face veils in public and places of work in response to the Fotokol bombings.
The law is viewed as a response to a court case of 2011 where a woman in Sydney was convicted of falsely claiming that a traffic policeman had tried to remove her niqab.
[73][74] In February 2020, Uttar Pradesh's labor minister Raghuraj Singh called for an outright ban on women wearing burqas, suggesting that terrorists have been using them to elude authorities.
[79] A Sri Lankan MP called for both the burqa and niqab to be banned from the country in wake of the Easter terror attack which happened on 21 April 2019 during a local parliamentary session.
[89] A 27 October Angus Reid Institute poll found that 70% Canadians outside of Quebec supported "legislation similar to Bill 62" where they lived in the country, with 30% opposing it.
[90] As of June 2019, wearing religious symbols is prohibited for certain public servants in positions of authority in Québec: police, judges and teachers.
In 2017 the mayor of Quebec City, Régis Labeaume, said he supports legislation banning the wearing of the niqab or burqa in public spaces.
[97] The table below lists, in chronological order, states that are either United Nations (UN) members or have UN observer status that have completely banned the burqa.
