Austria to ban full-face veil
Anne, an assumed name, a 31-year old French woman who has been fined for wearing a niqab while driving, leaves after a news conference with her husband Lies Hebbadj in Nantes, western France, April 26, 2010. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Austria’s ruling coalition has banned Muslim full-face veils in public places. The measure is part of a larger deal struck by the center-left Democratic party (SPÖ) and the center-right Austrian People’s party (ÖVP) to avert the disintegration of the ruling coalition, according to Austrian press.
Similar bans to the one proposed in Austria have been already endorsed in countries across Europe after a series of terroristic acts committed by the preachers of radical Islam. The ban will apply to education establishments, offices, and other public places.
As an explanation for the ban, the 35-page agreement written by the coalition explained that Austria should be an “open society that requires open communication.”
“The full-face veil will be banned in public spaces,” Christian Kern – the incumbent Chancellor of Austria said after the week-long negotiations concluded, adding that the ban will be implemented over the next 18 months.
Brussels Diplomatic 
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