Italian Authorities Plan to Ban the Wearing of Burqas and Niqabs 0 14

The ruling political party in Italy has announced its intention to legislatively establish a ban on the use of burqas and niqabs in public places. Offenders face fines that may range from three hundred to three thousand euros, Politico reports.

According to the publication, this provision will be one of the elements of a broader bill proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The initiative is also aimed at establishing control over the sources of funding for mosques and will introduce restrictions on wearing the hijab.

Additionally, the document outlines measures to strengthen accountability for forced marriage, as well as an obligation for religious organizations without state accreditation to declare incoming financial contributions from abroad.

Members of the ruling party, Brothers of Italy, explained that in the process of creating the documents, they considered the practices of France, which became a pioneer in Europe by banning the wearing of the burqa in 2011. Italy has had a legal norm since 1975 that prohibits appearing in public places with a completely concealed face; however, the text of this law does not specify a list of particular items of clothing to which it applies.

Previously, Italy was swept by mass pro-Palestinian protests after Israeli authorities blocked more than 40 ships of the international "flotilla of resilience" carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip and detained over 450 activists, including dozens of Italians.