The Bulgarian party “Movement for Rights and Freedoms” (DPS) announced Wednesday it does not support the veiling of Muslim women when taking their new passport pictures.
On Tuesday, the Mufti Office from the Bulgarian city of Smolyan demanded that the regional police department allow Muslim women to take the new passport pictures on with headscarves on.
The Regional Mufti Nedzhmi Dabov has announced that the requirements for the pictures with biometric data are in conflict with the Islamic canon that the Muslim woman should not display other parts of her body except her face and her hands up to her wrists.
“It is normal for spiritual leaders to take such a position on the issue. Bulgarian Orthodox Church has also had special demands in different spheres,” the MP from DPS, Chetin Kazak, said in an interview for the Bulgarian private TV channel bTV.
However, Kazak said firmly he does not support the demand of the Smolyan Mufti Office.
According to the electoral expert, Mihail Konstantinov, if this demand is fulfilled, Muslim women will not be able to travel in Europe, where passport pictures of veiled women are not allowed.
Another official who does not support the Mufti demand is the director of the police department in Smolyan, Kiril Hadzhihristev. He said Tuesday that the demands of the Muslim spiritual leaders cannot be fulfilled because, according to the rules for issuing identity documents, the picture should display the face, ears, and at least 1 cm of the hair of the person.