NordenBladet – Finland is currently preparing a so-called “veil ban” bill. The ban would also apply to Muslim women’s burqas and niqabs, which cover the face partially or completely. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen, a member of the Finns Party, considers it essential to legally prohibit face-covering masks or coverings in public places, reports MTV.
“We must be able to protect Finnish culture and an equal society, where all women have the right to move freely in public spaces with their faces visible, regardless of their cultural or family background,” Mari Rantanen told MTV News.
The veil ban is not included in the government’s official program, and there is no consensus within the government on the issue, MTV notes.
Chair of the Finns Party and Finance Minister Riikka Purra, as well as Minister of Social Affairs and Health Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (National Coalition Party), have stated that burqas and niqabs are not appropriate in schools. In July, Purra proposed a full ban on them.