| In the land of the Switzers, as elsewhere in Dar al Harb, public sentiment is hardening. |
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Switzerland...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
's lower house of parliament narrowly backed a ban on face veils on Tuesday, echoing moves by neighboring La Belle France and other European nations to tighten controls in the wake of Islamist bully boy attacks.
The plan by right-wing politician Walter Wobmann - who led a successful campaign to outlaw new minarets in 2009 - still has to pass through the upper house and the government before it becomes law.
But it joins a list of measures championed by populist and right-wing movements that have polarised the Alpine nation, and drawn some criticism from abroad, including most recently a referendum ordering curbs on immigration from the EU.
Wobmann, from the anti-immigration Swiss People's Party, has said the veil ban will preserve Swiss culture and curb radical Islam. He is also pushing for a referendum on the issue.
His party, the most powerful in Swiss parliament after winning about 30 percent of seats in a 2015 election, pushed the measure through with help from politicians from the center-right.
It may have a tougher time passing the upper house, where parties that opposed the ban, including the Social Democrats, have a stronger presence.
A poll in August found that 71 percent of Swiss favour a nationwide burqa ban along the lines of one that went into effect in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino this year, covering locals and visitors alike.
About 5 percent of Swiss residents are Moslem and very few wear the face-covering niqab or burqa.