On Friday, the parliament of Portugal passed a bill that prohibits the wearing of face veils in public for “gender or religious” reasons. This legislation is perceived as primarily targeting the face coverings often worn by some Muslim women. Proposed by the far-right Chega party, the bill explicitly bans garments such as burqas, which are full-body coverings, and niqabs, which are full-face veils that leave the eyes visible.
Under this legislation, face veils will still be permitted in specific settings, including on airplanes, within diplomatic premises, and in places of worship. The bill establishes fines for individuals wearing face veils in public, with amounts ranging from €200 to €4,000. The bill is subject to approval by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who may either sign it into law or refer it to the Constitutional Court for further review. If enacted, Portugal would join several other European countries, including Austria, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, in implementing full or partial bans on face and head coverings.
While the number of women wearing such coverings in Portugal is relatively small, the topic of Islamic veils has generated significant debate similar to that in other European nations. The far-right Chega party, a member of Patriots for Europe, cited the justifications provided by France and other European Union member states for their bans on face coverings commonly worn by Muslim women as a framework for their proposal. Support for the bill has also come from centre-right political parties. Chega contends that concealing one’s face subjects individuals, particularly women, to situations of exclusion and inferiority, which contradicts fundamental principles of liberty, equality, and human dignity.
However, centre-left and leftist political parties opposed the bill. Pedro Delgado Alves, from the Socialist Party (SP), highlighted that the initiative disproportionately targets foreigners of other faiths.
(This article used information from the Associated Press)
