Wearing the face veil in Belgium : views and experiences of 27 women living in Belgium concerning the Islamic full face veil and the Belgian ban on face covering

Abstract

Belgium adopted a legal ban on face covering on 1 June 2011. The current empirical study is part of a broader research project that includes also research documenting local bans and examining the bans from a human rights perspective. The main purpose of the research was to check some of the apparent hypotheses of the Belgian legislator from the perspective of the women wearing a face veil in Belgium. Analysis of the travaux préparatoires revealed three main motives behind the ban: improving (subjective and objective) safety, guaranteeing communication and social cohesion, and protecting women’s rights.4 An academic paper engaging with this research question, will be published elsewhere. The current report is a presentation of the findings of the empirical research as such