Sri Lanka to Ban Wearing of Burqas, Shut Several Islamic Schools

Public Security Minister said that he had signed an order which is now awaiting an approval from the parliament.

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(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

On Saturday, 13 March, a minister in the Sri Lankan government said that the country will ban the wearing of burqa and close down over a thousand Islamic schools, Reuters reported.

Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said that he had signed a Cabinet order which is now awaiting an approval from the parliament, a BBC report mentioned, stating that officials expect that the ban will be placed into effect soon.

“In our early days Muslim women and girls never wore the burqa. It is a sign of religious extremism that came about recently. We are definitely going to ban it,” Reuters quoted the minister as saying who cited “national security” grounds for the development.

The development comes approximately two years after Easter Sunday suicide bomb blasts in April 2019 which claimed the lives of over 300 people.

The bombings had struck at three churches and three high-end hotels and the Islamic State had then claimed responsibility. A temporary ban on wearing of burqa was put in place after attacks took place.

“Weerasekera said the government plans to ban more than a thousand madrassa Islamic schools that he said were flouting national education policy,” Reuters report added.

(With inputs from Reuters, BBC)