Excerpt:
The government of Spain's Catalonia region said on Thursday it would push ahead with a planned burqa ban after the EU ruled recently that banning full face veils in public did not violate the human rights of Muslim women.
The Catalan Government first announced its controversial plans to control the wearing of burqas and other face-covering attire in public spaces "for reasons of public safety" in 2013.
The move had nothing to do with religion and would also see the public wearing of garments including helmets and masks banned, Ramon Espadaler, Interior Minister for Catalonia, announced at the time.