Excerpt:
Opposition Finns Party MP Vesa-Matti Saarakkala has for the second time called for a ban on wearing veils that conceal the face. On Friday, Saarakkala tabled a bill calling for those appearing in public wearing a niqab or burkha to be subject to a fine. The ban would affect only a few dozen women in Finland.
In Saarakkala's opinion, the matter is related to gender equality.
Saarakkala cited France, where the veil is banned, as a model. According to the MP, the banning of the burkha and the niqab is a clear statement from the government that the traditional beliefs of special groups do not take precedence over human rights.