BERLIN (AP) – Swiss voters on Sunday voted on a proposal to ban face coverings, both the nikabs and burqas worn by a few Muslim women in the country and the ski masks and bandanas used by protesters. A projection after the polls closed indicated a very close result.
The measure would prohibit covering a person’s face in public places such as restaurants, sports stadiums, public transport, or simply walking on the street. There would be exceptions for religious sites and for safety or health reasons, such as the face masks people now wear to protect against COVID-19, as well as for traditional Carnival celebrations. The authorities are given two years to draft detailed legislation.
The Swiss government opposes the measure, saying face masking is a “marginal” issue. It argues the measure could harm tourism – most Muslim women who wear such veils in Switzerland are visitors from affluent Persian Gulf countries, often attracted to Swiss lakeside towns. And it says it wouldn’t help the affected women.
Instead, it supports that people should show their faces when the authorities request it.
Supporters of the proposal, which will be put to the vote five years after its launch and popularly known as the ‘burqa ban’, claim the full face cover symbolizes the oppression of women and say the measure is necessary to uphold a basic principle that faces must be shown in a free society like that of Switzerland.
A projection for the national public broadcaster SRG after the polls closed gave support to the proposal of 51%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Pre-referendum polls had suggested that support had eroded in recent weeks, and a good result was expected. Proposals require a majority of both voters and cantons to be passed in Switzerland’s frequent referendums.
Two of Switzerland’s 26 cantons or states, Ticino and St. Gallen, already have similar legislation requiring fines for violations. National legislation would bring Switzerland into line with countries such as Belgium and France that have already taken similar measures.
Supporters include the nationalist Swiss People’s Party, which is the strongest in parliament and backed previous measures such as a ban on the construction of new minarets approved by voters in 2009.
This time, a coalition of left-wing parties opposed to the proposal has put up signs that read: “Absurd. Useless. Islamophobic. ”