Italian Far Right Proposes Banning the Islamic Veil
Women wearing Islamic veil. X/ @MauroMafaluca
January 20, 2025 Hour: 9:19 am
It also proposes up to two years in prison and fines of 30,000 euros for those who force others to wear such garments.
On Monday, the far-right Italian party League, which is part of Giorgia Meloni’s governing coalition, introduced a bill seeking to ban the public use of Islamic veils and impose prison sentences on those who enforce their use.
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The leader of the League and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, described the proposal as “common sense” because it targets “those who do not respect our culture or freedom principles.”
“Zero tolerance for those who oppressively force women and girls to wear the veil, with prison sentences and suspension of citizenship applications,” he said.
Proposed by legislator Igor Iezzi, the bill is titled “Prohibition of the Use of Clothing and Other Items That Obstruct Identification in Public or Publicly Accessible Spaces and the Introduction of the Crime of Forcing Concealment of the Face into the Penal Code.”
Specifically, the initiative aims to amend a 1975 law that prohibits covering one’s face in a way that prevents identification, except for “justified reasons.” The bill removes this exception and prohibits covering the face with four exemptions: in places of worship, for health reasons, for road safety (e.g., wearing a helmet), or during sporting competitions and recreational events.
If passed, the law would ban the use of Islamic veils, such as the burqa or niqab, in public spaces in Italy. Additionally, the proposal introduces a new offense that would punish those who force others “through violence or threats” to wear such clothing with up to two years in prison and fines of up to €30,000. Those convicted of this crime would also be barred from obtaining Italian citizenship.
The bill has faced criticism from the opposition, particularly from Luana Zanella, spokesperson for the Green and Left Alliance in the Chamber of Deputies. She argued that “this has nothing to do with issues of women’s freedom” and instead seeks to “foster anti-Islamic sentiment.”
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
