A mural urging governments to outlaw the burqa has appeared in the trendy inner-city suburb of Newtown.
Local artist Sergio Redegalli painted the “Say no to burqas” sign on the outside of workshop this week to start a debate about the practice of wearing face-covering veils.
Redegalli said burqas and niqabs are symbols of religious extremism and were becoming more prevalent in Australia.
He said the image was not anti-Muslim, anti-Islam or anti-women.
“If you let it [the practice of covering your face] go, someone, somewhere down the line will say we would like Sharia Law,” he said.
Mr Redegalli said the image has already been defaced twice since he began painting it on Monday.
Mr Redegalli also drives a ute with stickers on the front saying “Australians have nothing to hide, say no to burqas”.
About 2000 Muslims held a peaceful protest in Lakemba last Saturday, angered by growing local and international pressure to restrict the wearing of veils in public.
The rally was a response to recent bans in Europe and two failed attempts by Christian Democratic Party MP Fred Nile to have a Bill banning burqas and other face veils in public introduced in the NSW Legislative Council.