By IRNA,
London : A human rights organisation has condemned the decision by the Belgium lawmakers to ban Islamic dress codes known as Burqa and Niqab, saying the legislation is in violation of international law.
“The proposal to ban the Niqab for the 30 women who choose to wear the veil in Belgium, out of a population of 500,000, serves no real purpose and just shows how the anti-Muslim sentiment is rampant in Belgium,” Massoud Shajareh, director of London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission told IRNA.
Shajareh described the legislation by Belgium’s lower house of parliament as “secular Talibanisation and an excuse for the targeting of Muslims”.
He said the move creates an environment for the escalation of “hate crimes” against Muslims while spreading Islamophobia in Europe.
Belgium’s ban on Niqab in public comes at a time where other European countries such as France are also proposing a ban on the Islamic face covering.
The law, which should be passed through the Senate for final approval, would ban any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places like parks and on the street. Those who break the law could face a fine of 30 Euros or a seven-day jail sentence.
“According to International Human Rights law, specifically article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) the freedom to manifest religion and belief individually or with others is protected and considered fundamental to freedom of expression,” Shajareh said.
He added that Article 26 of the ICCPR outlines the right to non discrimination on the grounds of religion while Article 20 states that international human rights law protects people against the promotion of religious hatred which amounts to incitement of discrimination, hostility or violence.
“Therefore various legal expert and human rights organisations deem this move to be in breach of the aforementioned articles and international law,” he said.
The Amnesty International has also condemned the Belgian law as “an attack on religious freedom”.
The law is “being presented as an act to combat discrimination against women whereas as an actual fact it is an act of discrimination in itself,” said David Nichols, executive officer of Amnesty International in Brussels.