Sri Lanka Cabinet Clears Proposal To Ban Burqa In Public Places; Cites 'National Security'

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved a controversial proposal to ban all forms of full-face veils including Muslim burqas in public places. Though full-face veils are banned, wearing face masks to combat Covid-19 is allowed.

Burqa ban in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved a controversial proposal to ban all forms of full-face veils including Muslim burqas in public places, citing a threat to national security.

Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera approved the proposal at its weekly meeting on Tuesday despite a U.N. expert’s comment that it would violate international law.

According to media reports, Weerasekara signed a note in March seeking the approval of the Cabinet to ban burqas. The decision was taken two years after a wave of coordinated terror attacks happened on hotels and churches on Easter Sunday in the country.

Though full-face veils are banned, wearing face masks to combat Covid-19 is allowed.

The proposal now must be sent to the Attorney General’s Department and be approved by Parliament to become a law. Since the government holds a majority in Parliament, the proposal could easily be passed.

Weerasekara has called burqas, a garment that covers the body and face worn by some Muslim women, a threat to national security. He said that it is a sign of religious extremism and said a ban would improve national security.

Last month, Pakistan's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ambassador Saad Khattak raised concerns against the proposal to ban burqas in the country. He said that such "divisive steps" in the name of security will hurt Muslim sentiments and lead to wider apprehensions about the fundamental human rights of minorities in the island nation.