27 September 2016

Call to ban Muslim women wearing hijab on passport photos

Walter Wobmann, an MP in Switzerland, said allowing photographs of women wearing headscarves on travel documents was “unequal treatment” and “unacceptable.”

Mr Wobmann, who is well-known for his anti-immigration stance, said the policy was unjust because caps, headbands and other headwear are not allowed on passport photos.

The right-wing MP for the populist Swiss People’s Party told Blick newspaper: “It is unacceptable that you can wear a hijab in a photo but not a cap.

"This is not a question of religious freedom but of equal treatment.”

Swiss federal police guidelines say covering the head is not allowed unless it is for religious or medical reasons and then only if the face is visible and identifiable.

Mr Wobmann, who has previously spoken out against burkas and the construction of minarets in Switzerland, said he will proceed with a new proposal to ban hijabs in passport photos. [Daily Express] Read more