(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Germany's interior minister has proposed a partial ban of the burqa, the full-face veil worn by some Muslim women, as a nationwide debate rages over integration.
Thomas de Maiziere said on Friday that the face veil does not belong in Germany society, where more than four million Muslims live, calling the proposed ban a "preventive measure".
The minister said the ban would apply to "places where it is necessary for our society's coexistence", including government offices, schools and universities, courtrooms, demonstrations and while driving vehicles.
He said the proposed ban was "not a security issue but an integration issue.
"Of course, the issue of the full veil stands for the question which role certain branches of Islam play in Germany," he said.
The proposed ban comes as German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government attempts to address public fears surrounding last year's record influx of nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees, most from predominantly Muslim countries.
It also echoes a controversial decision by several French towns in recent weeks to outlaw burkinis, the full-body Islamic swimsuit, at a highly sensitive time for relations with the Muslim community following a series of attacks in France.
De Maiziere did not say when he would put forward a draft bill to bring the ban into law, acknowledging that the Social Democrats (SPD), junior partners in the ruling coalition, had reservations about the move.
But he indicated that banning the face veil under certain circumstances - as opposed to the blanket ban favoured by the hard right of Merkel's Christian Union bloc - would be more likely to win approval in parliament.
In an interview with a regional newspaper this week, Merkel underlined her objections to the full-face veil.
"From my point of view, a woman who is entirely veiled has hardly any chance at integrating," she said.
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