Swiss gov't rejects "burka ban" initiative

GENEVA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss Federal Council said Wednesday it does not support an initiative calling for a nationwide ban on face-covering headgear.

Instead it issued a counter-proposal that no woman should be forced to hide her face, the Swiss news agency ATS reported, saying it has the backing of the major political parties, except for the Swiss People's Party.

The Federal Council, the national executive of the government, a group made of representatives of major political parties, recommended that voters reject what has been dubbed by national media as "burka ban" initiative.

A burka is a body and face-covering garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions.

The "burka ban" initiative was handed in with enough signatures to have a referendum on it by its promotors, the Rightwing, Swiss People's Party (SVP), in September. No date has yet been set for the vote.

The SVP initiative wants face-covering headgear to be banned in public places all over Switzerland apart from a few exceptions, such as for health reasons.

The initiative of the Federal Council on the other hand contends that "No woman should be forced to hide her face."

The government plans to include its proposal in the penal code that it is punishable to compel a person to hide his or her face.

National restrictions are only appropriate to prevent coercion of women or if people are in contact with certain authorities, such as migration officials, the Federal Council stated.

It is up to each of the country's 26 cantons to decide on how they regulate people in public spaces, it said.

Ticino, which neighbors Italy, is the only canton so far to introduce a total face-covering ban in public places.

St. Gallen has a less restrictive form of ban, but voters have rejected the idea in Zurich, Solothurn, Schwyz, Basel City and Glarus.

Lawmakers in the canton of Valais lawmakers recently outlawed a vote on a face covering ban saying it would violate the constitution. Enditem