No blanket niqab ban: Holland
THE HAGUE — In a retreat from the previous cabinet's plan for a general ban, the Dutch government has said it would now impose a partial ban on niqab in the western European country. "Face coverings are undesirable in an open society, they hinder communication between people and undermine equal chances for men and women," Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said in statements cited Saturday, February 9, by Reuters.
He says the government will impose a face veil ban on its civil servants and in schools, and it will enter talks with public transport companies on adding a ban to their terms and conditions for passengers. The government wants clauses to the contracts of public employees forbidding them from wearing face-covering garments.
Martin Sullivan