Plans for burka ban win ground

An estimated 100 Muslim women in Switzerland wear the burqa but public opinion appears to be set for a ban Keystone

A large majority of citizens is apparently in favour of introducing a nationwide ban on burkas for Muslim women in Switzerland, according to an opinion poll.

More than 60% of respondents said they would outlaw the Muslim religious garment in public spaces, the survey by the Léger Switzerland polling institute found.

The SonntagsBlick newspaper says people of all age groups and both in the German- as well as in the French-speaking parts of the country would vote for a ban.

About one in three respondents are apparently against it.

A member of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party is planning to launch a campaign next year for a nationwide vote on the issue.

Last year, a two-third majority of voters in Italian-speaking Ticino – one of 26 Swiss cantons – agreed a public ban in the southern Swiss region. But the decision is pending approval by the federal authorities.

Five years ago, a People’s Party committee won a nationwide vote banning the construction of new minarets in Switzerland, prompting a political upset.