Swedish politician: Ban hijab in the European Parliament
Stockholm – EU parliamentarian Charlie Weimers (Sweden Democrats, part of the ECR group) wants to prohibit employees of the European Parliament from wearing a veil.
This is stated in an email that Weimers has sent to other members, several media outlets report.
In the email, he urges them to sign a petition demanding a ban on “hijab, niqab, or other Islamic headscarves for officials employed by EU institutions.”
“We believe that the EU’s commitment to gender equality weighs heavier than symbols that are often imposed on women in non-democratic societies,” writes the Swede.
The plan is for the signatures to be submitted to the Speaker Roberta Metsola later this week.
The initiative has faced strong criticism from other members.
“Who told him that all the women wearing veils in the European Parliament do not wear veils of their own free will? It was just another damn man telling women how to dress,” says Swedish member Abir Al-Sahlani (Center Party, Renew Europe) to the newspaper Aftonbladet.
(October 1)
