As a part of a bill sent to parliament, swiss government proposed plans for fines up to CHF 10,000 for wearing a burqa has now been dropped after consultations. This was considered inappropriate and the implementation of this ban will be done through a new law and not amending the originally proposed penal code.
The proposed ban, also called the ‘burqa ban’, was supported by 51.2 percent of voters, but was criticised at the time as Islamophobic and sexist. Although the bill does not name burqas or niqabs, but it prohibits people from concealing their faces in public places like public transportation, restaurants, or walking in the street. It further specifies that eyes, nose, and mouth must be visible.
The initiative to ban facial coverings was first launched by Egerkinger Komitee, a group of politicians of the right-wing Swiss Party, which says it organises resistance against the claims of power of political Islam in Switzerland.