New South Wales bids to restrict Muslim veil use

MUSLIM women will have to remove veils and show their faces to police on request or risk a prison sentence under proposed laws in New South Wales in Australia.

A vigorous debate triggered by the proposal reflects the cultural tensions being ignited by the influx of Muslim immigrants and the unease that visible symbols of Islam are causing in predominantly white Christian Australia.

Under the law proposed by the government of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, a woman who refuses to remove her face veil could be sentenced to a year in jail and fined A$5,500 (€4,150).

The bill — to be voted on by state parliament in August — has been condemned by civil libertarians and Muslims as an overreaction to a traffic offence case involving a Muslim woman driver in a niqab — the veil that reveals only the eyes.

The government says the law would require motorists and criminal suspects to remove head coverings so police can identify them.

Critics say the bill smacks of anti-Muslim bias, given how few women in Australia wear veils. In a population of 23 million, about 400,000 Australians are Muslim. It is estimated that fewer than 2,000 women wear veils, and it is likely that even a smaller number drives.

“It does seem to be very heavy-handed, and there doesn’t seem to be a need,” said Australian Council for Civil Liberties spokesman David Bernie.

The row resembles the debate in Western countries over whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear garments that hide their faces in public. France and Belgium have banned face-covering veils in public. Typical arguments include preventing women from being forced to wear veils, and that public security requires people to be identifiable.