Results from a referendum in the southern canton of Ticino showed that 65 percent of the electorate backed a proposal to forbid the covering of faces in public areas by any group.
Echoing bans in France and Belgium, the measure does not single out Muslims directly.
It states that "no-one may mask or hide their face on the public highway, nor in places open to the public, except places of worship, nor those offering a public service".
But in a clear nod to the Islamic tradition of veils for women, it adds that "no-one may require another person to cover their face for reasons of gender". [The Local Europe] Read more
