The Dutch cabinet has backed a proposal to ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa in public places. This includes the street, trains, schools, buses, and courts. The decision comes just days before elections in which the ruling centre-right coalition is expected to win. Last year a majority of politicians in the Dutch parliament said they were in favor of a ban. Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk, who originated the proposal, said that this intolerant ban on cultural apparel would somehow promote tolerance.

Ms Verdonk insisted that the burqa was an unacceptable article of clothing in the Netherlands. “The Cabinet finds it undesirable that face-covering clothing - including the burqa - is worn in public places for reasons of public order, security and protection of citizens,” she said. Other forms of face coverings, such as crash helmets, would also be banned under the law.

Opponents of the ban say it would violate the civil rights of innocent citizens. Verdonk counters these allegations by saying, “It is very important that we can see each other and can communicate with each other. Because we are so tolerant we want to respect each other.” By using cultural integration to blatantly violate civil rights, similar bans have been placed throughout Europe. France passed a law banning religious symbols, including Muslim headscarves, from schools. Italy has banned face-coverings in public, citing security fears, while some German states banned teachers in public schools from wearing headscarves. The issue is also undergoing debate in the UK.

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