ZURICH (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2021) Over 50 percent of Swiss voters supported a ban on face coverings in public places, including the niqab worn by Muslim women, during a referendum on Sunday.
According to the latest data, 53.43 percent of the population, as well as the majority of the Swiss cantons, supported the initiative.
The result means that facial covering will be outlawed in all public areas, including on public transport, in shops, restaurants and on the streets. The exceptions will be made for places of worship and other religious sites. Moreover, face-covering will be allowed if worn for safety or health reasons and during festivities such as carnivals.
The Swiss authorities were calling on citizens to vote against the ban and were proposing to introduce a requirement to show the face in situations where it is necessary for identification purposes.
In 2018, several Swiss cantons voted to ban the wearing of Muslim burqas in public places, but the proposal was rejected in Zurich and Solothurn back then.
