LISBON, Portugal.- This Friday, the majority in the Parliament of Portugalmade up of right-wing parties, took the first step to ban covering your face in public placesa proposal presented by the ultra Chega party against the burqawhich now goes to a legislative committee before returning to the plenary session for the final vote.
The bill was approved in a first vote in the chamber with the support of the two partners in the Government, the Social Democratic Party (PSD, center-right) and the Christian Democrat CDS-PPin addition to Liberal Initiative (There’s He arrives.
They opposed the Socialist party (PS), the free ecologisthe Left Bloc (BE) and the Communist Party of Portugal (PCP), while the PAN animalist and the JPP regionalist.
🇵🇹‼️ | BREAKING NEWS — Portugal passes law prohibiting the burqa in public spaces. AndrĂ© Ventura celebrates a “historic day” for democracy, security and women’s rights. pic.twitter.com/FWmMl8ad7G
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The Chega party text advocates veto the use of “clothing intended to hide or hinder the display of the face” in public spacesin addition to prohibit “forcing someone to hide their face for reasons of gender or religion” and proposes sanctions of 200 to 4,000 euros.
The draft includes exceptions when covering the face in public places “is justified” for safety, health, professional, artistic or entertainment reasons, among others, as well as on airplanes, places of worship and embassies.
During the heated debate in Parliament, the Chega president, Andre Venturalinked the burqa, which covers the entire face and body in some islamic countries as Afghanistanwith immigration.
“Whoever comes to Portugal, coming from wherever they come from, whatever region they are from, whatever customs they have and whatever religion they have, must above all comply with, respect and ensure respect for the customs and values ​​of this country,” he said.
André Ventura defends his position in Parliament
For this reason, she alleged that her party has presented this initiative “to prohibit women from being forced to hide their faces completely, whether it has to do with their identity or due to religious obligation.”
“Today, Chega wants to prevent women from walking around with a burqa in Portugal and, being clear and with direct and understandable language for everyone, from forcing a woman to wear a burqa,” he noted.
A debate that “does not exist,” says the opposition
The deputy of Socialist party (PS), Pedro Delgado Alvesintervened to point out that Chega is creating a debate that “does not exist” in the country, since the main Muslim communities in Portugal do not support the burqa and “it is not representative.”
“People who profess the Islamic faith and reside in Portugal reject the burqa,” he stressed, “because the main Muslim communities in Portugal reject its use.”
In the Iberian country there are no official statistics on the number of women who wear the Islamic veil that covers the entire face, which in some countries is known as a burqa or as niqab.
The vote on this proposal takes place after the president of the country, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousawill promulgate on Thursday a new version of the Foreigners Lawwhich imposes restrictions on immigrants and was promoted by the Government, which carried it forward in Parliament with the votes of Chega.
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