Germany Proposes Ban on Islamic Face Veils in Universities

Germany’s interior minister on Friday proposed banning full face veils worn by some Muslim women, The New York Times reported. The ban would apply to universities and schools, when driving, in court, or at passport control checkpoints.

A similar law passed in 2010 in France and justified on public safety grounds has been criticized for further marginalizing Muslim women. The German interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, said that women who wish to wear full face veils should not teach or work as civil servants.

“We want to make it a legal requirement to show your face in places where that is necessary for the cohesion of our society,” he said.