Breathe
By Mónica Hernández
The news is not new, but the most recent entry is new, and I don't think it will be the last. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled in support of the current French law prohibiting the use of the burqa and the niqab in public spaces, because it considers that it threatens coexistence. The abaya as long as it only covers the body, but clears the neck, face, forehead and, of course, eyes. The use of the "lighter" veils, such as the hijab and the chador, is allowed. Public spaces include, but are not limited to the street, the supermarket, the school, the gym, the beauty salon... And in general, any space of coexistence.
This project began in France in 2010, with Nicolas Sarkozy as President. The law was passed in all its instances and came into force as of April 2011, followed by Belgium in June of the same year. By 2019 the law had been extended to Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands (formerly known as Holland) and Switzerland. Spain and Italy are behind but with this ruling by the European Court, whose decision is binding, it probably won't take long for them to pass it as well. A binding ruling, for those of us who know nothing about legal terminology, means that it is of mandatory application and that any similar case brought before a court, the resolution will be the same. The use of fabrics that cover women's faces is therefore prohibited, even if it is for religious reasons.
