Laws

Belgium Begins Burqa Ban

Vote could unveil new law in country.

Belgium is on course to take the most restrictive stand against Islamic veils in Europe. A government committee voted Wednesday to ban the burka and similar garb in public. "We cannot allow someone to claim the right to look at others without being seen," one parliament member said. France and Netherlands are considering similar laws. A half million Muslims live in Belgium and few wear the full veil, according to The Guardian. A Belgian Muslim leader warned of a slippery slope. "Today it's the full-face veil. Tomorrow the veil, the day after it will be Sikh turbans, and then perhaps it will be miniskirts," she told the press.