Sri Lankan parliamentary committee proposes immediate burqa ban
Following the Easter Sunday terror attack that killed over 250 people, a Sri Lankan parliamentary committee on national security has proposed an immediate ban on the burqa. It also proposed suspending the registration of political parties on 8 and religious basis.
A special report was tabled by MP Malith Jayatilaka, Chairman Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security in Parliament on Thursday to resolve 14 controversial issues following the April 21 Easter attack last year.
Suggesting that the police should have the power to ask anyone wearing a face covering in a public place to take off such clothing in order to establish the identity of the person, the report further said: ‘if such a request is not complied with, police should have the power to arrest the individual without a warrant’.
The report also proposed that all students studying in madrasas should be absorbed into the normal school system under the Ministry of Education within three years. It further suggested establishing a special committee to regulate the madrasas under the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs.
