AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, has condemned a new proposal by Italian lawmakers to ban the wearing of the niqab or burqa, describing it as “an authoritarian and bigoted attack on religious freedom.”
According to a statement released today by CAIR’s headquarters in Washington, “Religious freedom includes the right of every believer to choose their form of religious dress. Governments that prohibit women from choosing to cover their faces are engaging in authoritarian and discriminatory actions against the freedom of faith.”
The statement emphasized that Italy’s proposed ban, which would target a small minority of Muslim women who choose to wear the face veil, is “illogical,” since it allows people to cover their faces for reasons such as illness, celebrations, or non-religious occasions, yet denies Muslims the right to do so based on religious conviction.
Expressing solidarity with Italy’s Muslim community, CAIR urged Italian lawmakers to reject the “discriminatory” proposal and to uphold fundamental religious and personal freedoms.
In conclusion, CAIR once again called on European leaders to stop promoting Islamophobia in their societies and to remain committed to the principles of democracy and human rights, rather than passing restrictive laws targeting Muslims.
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