New Italian bill targets Islamic face coverings and religious funding

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Italy’s ruling Brothers of Italy party put forward legislation on Wednesday to ban the burqa and niqab in public spaces, part of a broader bill aimed at combating what it called “cultural separatism” linked to Islam.

The bill, presented to parliament by lawmakers from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, would prohibit garments covering the face in all public places, schools, universities, shops, and offices nationwide.

The burqa is a full-body garment that covers a woman from head to foot, including a mesh screen over the eyes. The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear.

Violators would face fines of 300 to 3,000 euros (US$350-$3,500).

The legislation was aimed at combating “religious radicalisation and religiously-motivated hatred,” the introductory text said.

France first European country to ban burqas completely

France was the first European country to introduce a blanket ban on wearing burqas in public in 2011.

The list has expanded significantly since, with more than 20 states around the world implementing some form of ban on the burqa and other full-face coverings in public, including Austria, Tunisia, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Switzerland.

The European Court of Human Rights has consistently upheld these bans, including in 2017, when it upheld Belgium’s bar on burqas and full-face veils, ruling that states may restrict such garments to protect “living together” in society.

Regions of Italy already impose restrictions, such as the northern one of Lombardy, which imposed a ban on entering public buildings and hospitals with covered faces in late 2015.

The legislation extends beyond face coverings to impose new financial transparency requirements on religious organizations that lack formal agreements with the Italian state.

No Muslim organizations currently have such agreements, leaving Islam without the formal recognition granted to 13 other religious groups. Under the proposed law, unrecognized groups will have to disclose all funding sources, with financing restricted to entities that pose no threat to state security.

The bill also introduces several new criminal provisions, including penalties for virginity testing, while strengthening punishment for forced marriages by adding religious coercion as grounds for prosecution.

Meloni’s coalition partner the League presented more limited legislation focusing on face coverings earlier this year. It is currently under review in a parliamentary commission and it was not clear if it would be merged with this new bill proposal.

The coalition has a strong majority in parliament, meaning such legislation should find backing, although there was no immediate timetable for its debate.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante and Crispian Balmer. Editing by Ed Osmond)