Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights for the Council of Europe writes that he's against a burka or niqab ban. Prohibition of the burqa and the niqab would not liberate oppressed women, but might instead lead to their further alienation in European societies.
A general ban on such attires would constitute an ill-advised invasion of individual privacy. Depending on its precise terms, a prohibition also raises serious questions about whether such legislation would be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. [Islam in Europe] Read more
