UKIP’s deputy leader Paul Nuttall has made bold calls for a ban on the wearing of burqas and niqabs in public buildings in Britain.
“It is International Women’s Day tomorrow (Tue) and what better opportunity to call for the empowerment of women and free them from the tyranny of the veil,” he said.
“We live in dangerous times when security is all important and it is vital that people’s faces can be seen.
“And just as importantly we live in a civilised liberal society and why should women be anonymised in this way? All free thinking women should be supporting a ban on full face coverings in public buildings,” said Mr Nuttall, North West MEP.
“There are laws in place in France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands, as well as other countries in the world, restricting the wearing of such face coverings and such a prohibition should be introduced in this country.
“You cannot stroll into a bank wearing a crash helmet or balaclava for eminently sensible security reasons and it is just common sense that the same should apply to the burqa and niqab. Why should they be exempt?
“Also such face, and in the case of the burqa, body coverings are not conducive to integration within our society and it inhibits communication.
“The International League for Women’s Rights has said that ‘the full-face veil, by literally burying the body and the face, constitutes a true deletion of the woman as an individual in public.’
“Some wearers say it is for religious reasons but how many cases have we heard of where Christians have been forbidden from merely wearing a crucifix at work? There must be consistency in such matters.
“In reality we all know our government is scared silly of offending any minority and bends over backwards to accommodate them, however at odds their ways may be to British traditions and wishes.
“Polls have shown that the majority in this country favour a ban on face coverings. It is time their views were put into action,” said Mr Nuttall.