Three ladies from Saudi Arabia shopping in Interlaken in 2016
Keystone
Face coverings have been banned in public in canton St Gallen in northeastern Switzerland. Two-thirds of voters agreed with the cantonal parliament and supported the so-called “burka ban”, which had been challenged by parties on the political left.
Turnout on Sunday was 35.8%, with a total of 73,830 people – out of a canton of some 500,000 – backing the measure.
The rightwing Swiss People’s Party said it hoped the ban would have a preventative effect. Opponents spoke of “playing to the gallery”, pointing out it was already illegal to force a woman to wear a burka and that the law’s implementation would be “completely random”.
Cantonal police will now have the discretion to decide whether a person whose face is covered “threatens or endangers public safety or the religious or social peace”.
Legal action?
The cantonal police and justice director said he wasn’t surprised by the result, but said it would have almost no effect.
“I’ve never seen anyone in a burka in St Gallen,” said Fredy Fässler, who added he couldn’t imagine the conditions of the ban ever being fulfilled. What’s more, he didn’t expect cantonal police officers would ever fine a woman wearing a burka.
Switzerland’s largest Islamic organisation, the Islamic Central Council, recommended women continue to cover their faces. It said it would closely monitor the implementation of the ban and consider legal action if necessary.
Last month, figures released by the justice ministry showed that the ban had affected masked football supporters the most. Hardly any wearers of burkas or niqabs, the original targets of the ban, have been fined.
Muslims make up around 5% of the total Swiss population, with most being immigrants from the former Yugoslavia.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
This content was published on
Parliament in the eastern canton on Tuesday confirmed the ban despite opposition from the cantonal government and leftwing as well as centre-right parties. Under the new law, the burka can be banned in public spaces if the burka-wearing person is considered a threat to security or to “religious or social peace”. St Gallen is the…
This content was published on
A year after the canton of Ticino adopted Switzerland’s only burka ban, the fallout from that decision is much less than feared.
This content was published on
Six women have been fined since a so-called burka ban went into effect in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino last summer.
Burka ban approved in Italian-speaking Switzerland
This content was published on
According to official estimates, only about 100 women in Switzerland wear burkas. The full-body cloaks worn by some Muslim women are few and far between in the southern Swiss canton. And yet about 65% of voters in the Italian-speaking canton voted in favour of the change to the law. The Ticino initiative did not explicitly…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.