MP renews call to ban face coverings in public

Karl Gauti Hjaltason, a Centre Party MP, has called for a ban on covering the face in public spaces, arguing Iceland should act before the practice becomes widespread. He presented the proposal to Parliament on Wednesday, mbl.is reports.

The parliamentary resolution would instruct the justice minister to prepare a bill. Hjaltason said a ban could help prevent the oppression of women and make it easier for police to identify people responsible for vandalism or violence at protests.

The proposal was first submitted in the spring but did not pass. In his speech, Hjaltason said Iceland should learn from other European countries that have introduced similar bans, including France, Denmark and Belgium. He described the measure as preventive, saying action should be taken before face coverings become more common in Iceland.

Hjaltason said face veils worn by women were, in many parts of the world, symbols of the oppression of women. He rejected the argument that a ban would unduly restrict religious freedom, saying such veils did not have religious roots. He added that the law would need to take full account of the women affected by it.

He also said a ban should give authorities greater scope to address vandalism and violence at protests. Under the proposed rules, he said, enough of a person’s face would need to remain visible for identification; seeing only the eyes would not be sufficient. The proposal envisages exceptions.