Following the Portuguese Parliament’s approval of a law banning face coverings in public spaces, the Executive Director of Amnesty International – Portugal, João Godinho Martins, said:
“This new law is discriminatory and is a threat to human rights. Despite having removed direct references to Islam, which were a part of previous versions of the text, this new law clearly violates the human rights of Muslim women who choose to cover their faces. It is a direct threat to their freedom of expression and freedom of religion. No one should dictate what a woman may or may not wear, and no woman should be penalized for practising her faith, cultural identity or beliefs.
“Far from promoting women’s rights as claimed, this blanket ban is likely to have the opposite effect. Women who choose to wear full-face veils may face greater exclusion from public life, social isolation or increased difficulties in accessing education, employment and public services.
Far from promoting women’s rights as claimed, this blanket ban is likely to have the opposite effect
João Godinho Martins, Amnesty International Portugal
