Sri Lanka announced a ban on burqas on Saturday and the closure of more than 1,000 Islamic schools in the country, the Associated Press said.
“The burqa has a direct impact on national security,” said Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara of the one-piece, full-body clothing worn by some Muslim women.
He added, “It is a sign of religious extremism that has emerged recently. We will certainly ban it.”
Weerasekara said he signed a document on Friday submitting the burqa measure to the cabinet of ministers for approval. He also spoke of the closure of Islamic madrassa schools, citing their lack of adherence to national education policies, Reuters said.
According to the United States Department of State’s 2018 report on International Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka, the island country in South Asia officially recognizes four religions: Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity.
The country’s population is 9.7 percent Muslim, compared to 70.2 percent Buddhist, 12.6 percent Hindu, and 7.4 percent Christian.
The report states that Sri Lanka’s government officials have “applied systematic discrimination against religious minorities, especially Muslims, and converts to ‘free’ (non-denominational and evangelical) Christian groups.”
The last time the burqa was banned in Sri Lanka was in 2019, after Islamist militants killed more than 250 people after bombing churches and hotels, according to Reuters.
Other countries have also introduced burqa bans in recent years, including Switzerland and Denmark.