Authorities in Zurich have, for the first time, issued a fine under the Swiss law known as the “burqa ban,” prohibiting facial coverings in public spaces.
Police officers in the city of Zurich fined a woman who covered her face for “religious reasons.” The woman refused to pay the penalty of ₣100 (€105), so the case will go to the canton governor’s office who will rule on the matter.
No further details are known of the case, but it is widely speculated in Swiss media that the woman was most likely wearing a burqa, an item worn by some Muslim women which fully covers the body and the face.
This was the first fine issued under the “burqa ban” which came into effect at the start of this year. Anyone who breaks the law faces a fine of up to ₣1,000 (€1,050).
Swiss citizens voted for the introduction of the ban in a 2021 referendum, backing it with a razor-thin majority of 51.2%. The initiative was spearheaded by politicians from two right-wing parties, who also initiated a referendum in 2009 that resulted in the banning of new minarets.
The national-conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the largest political force in the federal parliament, argued that the burqa is a “symbol of political Islam” used by “Islamic misogynists to subjugate women.”
Although the face covering ban mainly targets burqa wearers, it also applies to protestors and hooligans who like to cover their faces with masks.
Facial coverings remain permitted for reasons relating to health and safety, for the carnival season, or due to weather conditions. They are also allowed on artistic and entertainment grounds and for advertising. Faces may also be covered in places of worship.
Though no other fines have been issued on supposed religious grounds other than the aforementioned woman in Zurich, the canton of Bern has imposed fines under the law on football hooligans and rioters who disguised themselves with masks to avoid being caught.
The cantons of Ticino and St. Gallen had already imposed their own burqa bans in 2016 and 2019. Similar bans exist in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, and France.
