Lisbon [Portugal], October 19 : Portugal's parliament has approved a bill banning face veils worn for "gender or religious" reasons in public, in a move seen as targeting the face coverings worn by some Muslim women, EuroNews reported.
The bill was proposed by the far-right Chega party, and received support from the centre-right PSD, Liberal Initiative and CDS-PP. Left-leaning lawmakers, including from the PS, Livre, PCP and Bloco de Esquerda parties voted against the initiative, as per EuroNews.
The measure prohibits the "use, in public spaces, of clothing intended to conceal or obstruct the display of the face", as is the case with the burqa a full-body garment that covers a woman from head to foot and niqabs the full-face Islamic veil with space around the eyes.
It also prevents the act of "forcing someone to hide their face for reasons of gender or religion", the parliamentary initiative reads.
Exceptions include when facial concealment "is duly justified for health reasons or professional, artistic, entertainment or publicity reasons".
The ban also "does not apply on airplanes or in diplomatic and consular premises", and "faces can also be covered in places of worship and other sacred places," as per EuroNews.
Also excluded from the ban is "the concealment of the face for reasons related to security or due to climatic conditions, or whenever this results from a legal provision that allows it".
The law will now be debated in the parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, where it may also be amended. After that, it will return to plenary for the final overall vote.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa still has to approve the bill. He could veto it or send it to the Constitutional Court for review.
The measures would then apply to all public spaces, including "public roads, as well as places open to the public, used for public service", as well as "in all places where services generally accessible to all citizens are provided". They also extend to "sporting events or practices and demonstrations".
Those who fail to comply with the new rules could face fines of between 200 and 2,000, "in the event of negligence". In cases of wilful misconduct, fines could reach to between 400 and 4,000 euros, as per EuroNews.
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