By Shumaila Aslam
Bureau Chief Pakistan
Snn News Finland
ROME, ITALY A face veil ban proposed by Italy’s ruling Fratelli d’Italia party has reopened a debate playing out across Europe over how far governments should go in regulating Islamic dress in the name of integration and women’s rights.
What Italy’s Bill Would Do
The bill, put forward in parliament’s lower house, would prohibit garments that cover the face including the burqa and niqab in all public places, schools, universities, shops and offices nationwide.
Violators would face fines of โฌ300 to โฌ3,000. Lawmakers Galeazzo Bignami and Andrea Delmastro, along with co-sponsor Sara Kelany, introduced the legislation as part of a broader package described as targeting “Islamic separatism,” which also includes new financial disclosure rules for mosques and stiffer penalties for forced marriage.
Kelany said the bill was meant to prevent the emergence of “enclaves” where religious law, rather than Italian civil law, effectively governs daily life.
As of this writing, no date has been set for a full parliamentary vote, though Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition holds a majority that gives the bill a realistic path forward.
A Wider European Pattern
Italy’s proposal follows similar measures already in force elsewhere in Europe. France introduced the continent’s first nationwide public face-covering ban in 2011, and more than twenty countries have since adopted comparable restrictions, a number upheld in past rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.
Austria’s parliament banned full-face veils in public in 2017 as part of a broader integration package that also introduced mandatory language and civics courses for asylum seekers.
Just this fall, Portugal’s parliament passed its own ban, driven by the far-right Chega party, with fines of up to โฌ4,000.
Some Italian regions have moved on their own already: Lombardy restricted face coverings in public buildings and hospitals back in 2015.
Key Facts
- Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia party proposed a nationwide face veil ban with fines of โฌ300โโฌ3,000.
- The bill also includes new mosque funding disclosure rules and stiffer forced-marriage penalties.
- France banned public face coverings in 2011; more than 20 countries now have similar laws.
- Austria banned full-face veils in 2017; Portugal passed its own ban in October.
- No date has been set yet for a full vote in Italy’s parliament.
FAQ
Does Italy already have a face-covering law? A: Yes, dating to anti-terrorism legislation from the 1970s, though Muslim community representatives say it’s rarely enforced against veiled women.
What would change under the new bill? A: It would explicitly ban burqas and niqabs in all public places, schools and workplaces nationwide, with defined fines.
Which other European countries have similar bans? A: France, Austria, Belgium and, as of October, Portugal all have face-covering restrictions in public places.
What do critics say about these bans? A: Opponents argue they can isolate observant Muslim women rather than integrate them, and risk discriminating against a religious minority.
Has Italy’s bill been voted on yet? A: Not yet โ as of this report, no timeline has been set for a full parliamentary vote, though this is a developing story.
Supporters and Critics Both Weigh In
Backers of these bills frame them as protecting women and preserving secular public life.
Portuguese lawmaker Andreia Neto said during her country’s debate that “no woman should be forced to veil her face,” describing the measure as a matter of equality between men and women.
Supporters of Italy’s 2011 draft law made a similar argument, saying restrictions would end the “suffering” of women pressured into covering against their will.
Critics counter that blanket bans punish women rather than protect them. Mario Scialoja, a board member of the Islamic Cultural Center of Italy, has previously warned that such laws risk being “xenophobic and discriminatory” and called for existing rules to be enforced rather than expanded.
Analysts tracking similar legislation in Austria have made a related point: restrictions aimed at religious minorities can end up isolating the very women they claim to help, by discouraging them from leaving home at all. In Portugal, two parliamentary parties abstained from the recent vote, arguing the bill risked encouraging discrimination.
Representatives of Italy’s Muslim community have also noted that the country’s existing face-covering law, in place for decades, is rarely enforced against veiled women in practice raising questions among some observers about whether a new, broader ban is really about security or is aimed more squarely at religious dress.
Reuters via ThePrint New Italian bill targets Islamic face coverings
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