Niqab banned in Sri Lanka due to national security concerns
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has officially banned the usage of the niqab for Muslim women on the grounds of national security.
“The ban is to ensure national security. No one should obscure their faces to make identification difficult,” said President Maithripala Sirisena in a statement yesterday.
The ban comes a little over one week after bomb blasts on Easter Sunday that left several hundred dead. It was carried out Sri Lankans affiliated to the Islamic State terror group.
He also has directed the Justice Ministry relevant laws banning the niqab.
The decision was made after consulting All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) the apex body for Muslim affairs. The ACJU have already submitted a resolution banning face veil.
Many business outlets too have put up signs at their shops in line with the government rule.
Muslims make up about 10 percent out of the 21 million population in the island state.
The practice of using niqab only gained popularity among Sri Lankan Muslims in the last five to six years.
