In a significant development, Portuguese President António José Seguro has approved legislation imposing a sweeping ban on face coverings in public spaces. This new measure, widely interpreted as targeting Muslim women, was reported by AFP and has sparked a broad discussion.
However, the rule comes with several exceptions. The prohibition makes allowances for scenarios such as health and professional obligations, artistic pursuits, weather-related conditions, and settings like places of worship, diplomatic missions, or when traveling on airplanes.
Individuals who violate this policy may face monetary penalties ranging from 150 to 3,000 euros, the outlet detailed. This introduces a significant enforcement aspect to the legislation.
When converted, these fines amount to approximately $175 to $3,500, underlining the seriousness of the financial consequences for non-compliance.
The law, often referred to by local media as the “burqa law,” draws its name from the traditional attire worn by some Muslim women. This legislation was passed by the Portuguese parliament in the last month, AFP reported, marking a pivotal moment in Portugal’s approach to public attire regulations.
The law bans sporting coverings meant to hide a person’s face or block identification in public areas and bans requiring someone to cloak their face due to gender, religion, age or origin, the report states.
“For the president of the republic, the uncovered face constitutes a structuring dimension of social trust, a characteristic of Portuguese society,” according to an English translation of a Portuguese-language press release.
“Social integration, non-discrimination based on gender and the security resulting from similar decisions by the European Court of Human Rights underpin this decision. The president of the republic shares this court’s conviction that the face is central to human identity and communication, serving as a minimum element for mutual recognition among fellow citizens.
“And to admit that women, and only women, must hide their entire faces implies an asymmetry incompatible with the values of parity and equal dignity between men and women, values that shape European democracies,” the release added.