Switzerland narrowly voted to ban full face coverings, including niqabs and burqas, from most public areas.
CNN reports that the controversial referendum passed with 52.21 percent of the vote. It prohibits full face coverage in publicly accessible places, including streets, public offices, public transportation, restaurants and shops.
Exceptions will be made for places of worship, holy sites and for health and safety reasons. However, no exceptions are made for tourists.
The referendum has been criticized by religious groups, human rights groups and the federal government, CNN reports. The Swiss Federal Council, the Swiss Federal Government and the Swiss Parliament both advised voters to support the referendum.
Critics also argue that the proposal is essentially pointless, as hardly anyone in Switzerland wears a burqa and the number of people wearing niqab is in the low tens at most.
The proposal was submitted by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party and while it does not mention Islam, it is called a “burqa ban” in Swiss media, according to CNN.
Amnesty International spoke out against the results of the vote, saying in a statement, “Swiss voters have again approved an initiative that discriminates against one religious community in particular and creates unnecessary divisions and fear.”
Public burqa bans have been enacted in several European countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands. CNN notes that the United Nations Human Rights Committee has said the measures violate the human rights of Muslim women and could result in “imprisonment in their homes.”