Spain Considers Burqa Ban

A controversial European trend extended to Spain Sunday, as the country’s leading opposition party announced an upcoming push to ban burqas in public. Spain’s majority party, the Socialists, plans to support the measure, which would bar women from wearing the traditional Muslim body cover in all public places. Head veils, which are part of some traditional Spanish cultures, would not be included. With the debate, Spain joins Belgium, the Netherlands, and France—whose lower house approved a ban this week—in attempting to block the traditional garment. Justice Minister Francisco Caamano said this week that the burqa is “hardly compatible with human dignity.” Spain is home to about 1 million Muslims; the nation's Islamic Commission criticized the measure as an infringement on personal liberty.