German Interior Minister Calls For Partial Burqa Ban

BERLIN, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Augst,2016) : Germany's interior minister came out Friday in favour of partially banning the full-face burqa Islamic veil, as a debate on integration rages after two jihadist attacks and ahead of key state polls. The call by Thomas de Maiziere comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's government attempts to address public fears surrounding last year's record influx of migrants and refugees. It also echoed a controversial move by several French towns in recent weeks to outlaw "burkinis", the full-body Islamic swimsuit, at a highly sensitive time for relations with the Muslim community following a series of Islamist attacks.

"We agree that we reject the burqa, we agree that we want to introduce a legal requirement to show one's face in places where it is necessary for our society's coexistence -- at the wheel, at public offices, at the registry office, in schools and universities, in the civil service, in court," De Maiziere said after a meeting with regional counterparts from his conservative bloc.