Morocco said to ban sale, production of burqas
Officials say the full-face covering has raised ‘security concerns’ in the Muslim country, where few use the controversial clothing article
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Morocco has banned the sale and production of Burqas in its territory, as well as the import of the Muslim full facial covering from abroad, the BBC reported Saturday, citing local media.
The report said that the government has made no official announcement, but has ordered stores to remove the articles within 48 hours. Anonymous officials told media the decision was made due to “security concerns.”
There was no word on whether action would be taken to bar those who already possess burqas from wearing them.
Burqas are an uncommon sight in Morocco, the BBC noted, with most women preferring a headscarf that does not conceal their face. Some more religious women use the Niqab, which leaves the eyes uncovered.
BBC News quoted a high-ranking official who told the Le360 website that “bandits have repeatedly used this garment to perpetrate their crimes.”
The Northern Moroccan National Observatory for Human Development called the move an “arbitrary decision that is an indirect violation of women’s freedom of expression and wearing what reflects their identities or their religious, political or social beliefs.”
Meanwhile former minister of social development Nouzha Skalli said the ban was “an important step in the fight against religious extremism.”
Partials bans preventing the wearing of burqas in public spaces have been enacted in several European nations including France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria. German officials have indicated they may ban the controversial garment in the future as well.
The Times of Israel Community.