Excerpt:
Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out on Wednesday against the idea of a complete ban in Germany on the full-face veil worn by Muslim women, saying that wearing it was part of religious freedom.
Merkel told an international parliamentary conference in Berlin that the full-face veil, such as the burqa and niqab, were however "a major obstacle to integration."
"Against this background, we have begun making precise plans on the question of the full-face veil for action in areas where it is not necessary," the chancellor said, pointing to public administrative offices or in courts.