Sri Lanka pauses for thought ahead of proposed ban on burka

A Sri Lankan Muslim woman walks in a street of Colombo, Sri Lanka (Eranga Jayawardena/AP)

Sri Lanka’s government said it would take time to consider a proposed ban on the wearing of burkas, which a top security official called a sign of religious extremism.

Sri Lanka’s minister of public security, Sarath Weerasekara, said he was seeking Cabinet approval to ban burkas, a garment worn by some Muslim women covering the body and face, a move he said would have a direct impact on national security.