Why did Switzerland Ban the Niqab if Only 30 Women Wear it?

A Spanish newspaper reported that a "Popular initiative of the nationalist right-wing party in Switzerland promoted a complete ban on the Niqab and burqa, which are barely visible on the country's streets, and showed a slim majority vote in support of the ban during the poll of March 7, 2021."

"El Pais" explained, "A banner broadcast in the streets of Switzerland before the referendum, showing a woman wearing a Niqab, so that only her eyes were visible, and she looked frowning at passersby, and it had a slogan calling for (stop extremism)."

It added, "These posters are a slogan for the national right campaign, as Switzerland decided to vote on a law banning the wearing of the Niqab and burqa in public places."

Although the promoters of the popular initiative did not mention Islam and assert that their proposal also affects potential protesters who hide their identity to commit crimes, the debate that has polarized Swiss society is related to the ban of the burqa and Niqab among Muslim women.

Islamophobia

For its part, the government and the majority of parties refuse to ban these clothes, which are barely visible in the country. However, opinion polls predicted the success of this anti-niqab initiative.

The newspaper pointed out, "the debate has been on the table for years in the small and wealthy country in the heart of Europe, and has intensified in recent weeks after a committee belonging to right-wing circles close to the Swiss People's Party launched an initiative aimed at (stopping the Islamization of Switzerland)."

This committee has already conducted a similar referendum in 2009, in which 57.5 percent of voters voted in favor of a proposal to ban the construction of minarets in the country.

Supporters argue that the burqa and Niqab are the visible face of a totalitarian ideology that has no place in democracy, and that it represents "Fundamentalism" that tramples on women's rights and poses a threat to traditional Swiss values.

In this sense, Anian Liebrand, spokesperson for the Egerkinger committee that launched the initiative, and a member of the Swiss People's Party, sums it up: "In a free country, you must show your face."

As for those who reject this measure, they believe that it "Hides Islamophobia and racism, and an assault on religious freedom and the right of women to wear whatever they want."

In this regard, the Swiss Socialist Party proclaimed, "Women must decide on their bodies, and no one can prevent them from wearing the veil and cannot force them."

For its part, the Green Party believes that this initiative "Seeks to stigmatize Muslim women in the name of equality, a step that is used only as an excuse and does not help them at all."

The newspaper indicated that the government - represented by the main parties and the majority in Parliament, in which the Swiss People's Party monopolizes the largest number of seats - considers the legislation on a "Marginal phenomenon" in Switzerland, which would primarily affect tourists from the Arab Gulf region. It could have deep repercussions.

In addition, they believe that this initiative "Does not help the concerned women and will negatively affect tourism."

The Ban Does Not Erase Extremism 

Therefore, the government and the parliamentary majority defended an alternative proposal that would require women to show their faces when identification is necessary, and provide assistance to promote equality.

In this regard, Justice Minister Karen Keeler-Sutter has argued, "The ban does not provide protection against extremism and terrorism".

El Pais reported that the burqa ban has been in effect in Ticino, in the south of the country, since 2016 and in the northeastern canton of San Gallo, since 2019.

In Ticino, according to the Swiss media, about 60 fines were imposed for concealing the face, but among these cases, only 28 were cases of female tourists because of the Niqab, and in San Gallo, no offense was attributed to clothing.

In addition, about 15 Swiss provinces punish those who hide their faces at demonstrations and sporting events.

Neighboring countries such as France, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium have also used bans against the burqa, but critics of the Swiss proposal consider that Swiss is different from these countries.

The newspaper reported that about 5 percent of the country's population of 8.6 million people convert to Islam, most of them from the Balkans and Turkey.

Among women, Niqab wearers represent a very clear minority that the federal executive has not established official figures for, but a recent study estimates that this percentage ranges between 20 and 30 women across the country, and in general, no one usually wears the burqa.

Freedom Violation

The newspaper quoted researcher Andreas Tunger-Zanetti, from the Center for "Religious Research" at the University of Lucerne, that the phenomenon of the Niqab or burqa in the streets of Switzerland "is a phenomenon that must be examined carefully."

Regarding the initiative that was voted on, the researcher believes that it "Does not work and does not lead to the liberation of women in other countries" and may generate a feeling of exclusion among Muslims.

The newspaper reported that Marianne Bender Keeler, a member of parliament for the province of Aargau from the "Mete" party, clarified "that the consequences of banning the Niqab or its scarcity should not be a reason to tolerate it."

In an interview with El Pais, Keeler, the latter pointed out that the Niqab "contradicts the basic rights of the modern state, freedom and equality, and carries with it a kind of oppression...".

Along with other politicians and activists, Keeler has been part of a group that advocates for the ban, but does not agree with the "right-wing populist" committee that introduced the initiative.

Despite the divergence of opinions between the various formations in the European country, opinion polls showed that the percentage of support for the initiative ranged between 49 percent and 59 percent, and the polls showed the result in 51.2 percent, compared to 48.8 percent of voters rejected.

The newspaper quoted that the researcher in Islamic affairs, Rifaat Lenzin, believes that the initiative conveys the message that "Islam is not part of Switzerland."

He articulated, "The aim of the initiative is to violate religious freedom," stressing that "it cannot be said that Saudi tourists who shop here are extremists and represent a source of danger."

The newspaper reported that the Federation of Islamic Organizations, which includes more than 200 bodies, considered that the initiative's promoters were practicing a "Politics of symbols", according to its representative, Onder Güneş, and they launched the discussion "Inappropriately". In all, the initiative sends a message that Muslims must be "repelled".

The newspaper commented that in the beginning, "there was an initiative that banned minarets, and now the burqa."

Güneş concluded his statement by saying: "The niqab is not a typical phenomenon of Islam in Switzerland, at the same time, we do not support forcing any woman not to wear it anywhere else, and the ban here does not contribute to anything."