Three ladies from Saudi Arabia shopping in Interlaken in 2016
Keystone
Face coverings have been banned in public in canton St Gallen in northeastern Switzerland. Two-thirds of voters agreed with the cantonal parliament and supported the so-called “burka ban”, which had been challenged by parties on the political left.
Turnout on Sunday was 35.8%, with a total of 73,830 people – out of a canton of some 500,000 – backing the measure.
The rightwing Swiss People’s Party said it hoped the ban would have a preventative effect. Opponents spoke of “playing to the gallery”, pointing out it was already illegal to force a woman to wear a burka and that the law’s implementation would be “completely random”.
Cantonal police will now have the discretion to decide whether a person whose face is covered “threatens or endangers public safety or the religious or social peace”.
Legal action?
The cantonal police and justice director said he wasn’t surprised by the result, but said it would have almost no effect.
“I’ve never seen anyone in a burka in St Gallen,” said Fredy Fässler, who added he couldn’t imagine the conditions of the ban ever being fulfilled. What’s more, he didn’t expect cantonal police officers would ever fine a woman wearing a burka.
Switzerland’s largest Islamic organisation, the Islamic Central Council, recommended women continue to cover their faces. It said it would closely monitor the implementation of the ban and consider legal action if necessary.
Last month, figures released by the justice ministry showed that the ban had affected masked football supporters the most. Hardly any wearers of burkas or niqabs, the original targets of the ban, have been fined.
Muslims make up around 5% of the total Swiss population, with most being immigrants from the former Yugoslavia.
Kai Reusser / swissinfo.ch
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
Several Swiss municipalities and banks hit by cyberattack
This content was published on
Russian hackers attacked the websites of several Swiss municipalities and banks on Tuesday, just as the World Economic Forum (WEF), got under way in Davos.
Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
WEF gives Crystal Award to Beckham, Yamamoto and von Fürstenberg
This content was published on
The World Economic Forum in Davos handed out awards to UNICEF ambassador David Beckham, Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto and women's rights activist Diane von Fürstenberg.
Swiss CEOs betting on a strong domestic market in 2025
This content was published on
Swiss business leaders are optimistic about 2025, despite a world in crisis, says a new survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
This content was published on
Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis have welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to Bern
This content was published on
Parliament in the eastern canton on Tuesday confirmed the ban despite opposition from the cantonal government and leftwing as well as centre-right parties. Under the new law, the burka can be banned in public spaces if the burka-wearing person is considered a threat to security or to “religious or social peace”. St Gallen is the…
This content was published on
A year after the canton of Ticino adopted Switzerland’s only burka ban, the fallout from that decision is much less than feared.
This content was published on
Six women have been fined since a so-called burka ban went into effect in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino last summer.
Burka ban approved in Italian-speaking Switzerland
This content was published on
According to official estimates, only about 100 women in Switzerland wear burkas. The full-body cloaks worn by some Muslim women are few and far between in the southern Swiss canton. And yet about 65% of voters in the Italian-speaking canton voted in favour of the change to the law. The Ticino initiative did not explicitly…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.