Spanish City Of Lleida Bans Burqa, Niqab In Public Spaces

The Spanish city of Lleida on Friday approved a ban on full-face coverings in most public spaces in a rare move targeting the Muslim burqa and niqab.

Unlike European neighbours such as France, Portugal or Belgium, Spain has no national law banning or restricting the use of the garments worn by some Muslim women.

Lleida, a provincial capital of about 150,000 people in the northeastern Catalonia region, about 150 kilometres west of Barcelona, had banned full-face veils in some public spaces in 2010, the first such move in Spain.

However, the Spanish Supreme Court nullified the ban in 2013 after a long legal challenge by a Muslim association. The court ruled that the ban violated religious freedom and exceeded the powers of a local authority, and also cancelled similar measures in other municipalities.

To avoid similar legal issues, Lleida’s city parliament on Friday voted 16-11 to amend its municipal civic coexistence law. The new measure bans “remaining in or moving through public spaces with items or elements that totally cover the face,” without explicitly mentioning the burqa or the niqab.

The burqa is a one-piece garment that covers the entire head and body, while the niqab is a face veil that leaves the eyes exposed.

The reform provides for “exceptions linked to cases involving the exercise of basic rights, places of worship and spaces or uses where these customs are socially accepted.” Violators will face fines.

According to the city hall, the measure was passed by an unusual alliance of the Catalan Socialist party, far-right formation Vox and Catalan separatists Junts.

“Living together means respecting one another, and respecting one another also means following the rules,” Socialist mayor Felix Larrosa told the municipal parliament.