Dutch seek to ban burkas in public

The Dutch government said Friday that it wants to outlaw full-length veils such as the Muslim burka and other face-concealing apparel in public places.

Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk said the proposed ban was intended to promote security.

“The Cabinet finds it undesirable that face-covering clothing -- including the burka -- is worn in public places, for reasons of public order, security and protection of citizens,” Verdonk said in a statement.

“From a security standpoint, people should always be recognizable and from the standpoint of integration, we think people should be able to communicate with one another,” Verdonk told national broadcaster NOS.

She said the ban would include not only the tent-like burka but full-face helmets and ski masks.

Ayhan Tonca, who heads a Dutch Muslim organization, dismissed the proposal as an overreaction. “This is a big law for a small problem,” he said, adding that as few as 30 women in the Netherlands wear burkas.

He also said the security argument did not stand up. “I do not think people who have bad things in their minds would wear a burka,” he said.

The Netherlands, once considered one of Europe’s most welcoming nations for immigrants and asylum seekers, is deeply divided over government moves to stem the tide of new arrivals and compel them to adopt Dutch ways.

Friday’s announcement came after the final meeting of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s Cabinet before national elections Wednesday.

It appeared meant to stake a claim for the right-wing vote and consolidate ties between Balkenende’s Christian Democrats and the free-market Liberal party, which has taken the lead on tightening immigration laws.

If it is reelected and keeps its promise, a new center-right Dutch government will go further than any other in Europe in legislating restrictions on traditional Muslim dress.

The issue has resonance throughout Europe. Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw recently caused a stir by saying he wanted Muslim women to abandon the full-face veil, a view endorsed by Prime Minister Tony Blair.