NationStates

GENEVA — Switzerland on Sunday became the latest European country to ban the wearing of face coverings in public places, prohibiting the veils worn by Muslim women.

Official results of the nationwide referendum showed 51.2 percent of voters supported the ban on full facial coverings, which was proposed by the populist, anti-immigrant Swiss People’s Party (S.V.P.), compared with 48.8 percent opposing it, a much narrower margin of victory than pollsters had initially predicted.

I was quite shocked to hear that this ban passed especially given the central government's opposition. I can't say I support it either, but such moves do make Switzerland's policies similar to some other mainland European nations which also place limits on facial coverings. I'm curious about NSG's opinion: are such movements well meaning and preserving public order, or merely attempts to attack religious minorities?

Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/worl ... rings.html

Seems like an odd time to do that.

That fucking sucks. Who thought it was a good idea to ban people from covering their face?

This is excellent news.

This is an infringement of freedom of expression. Let minorities wear their traditional clothing if they want to. Banning it doesn't solve anything.

Wow. Swiss voters really are one of the anti face mask group eh?

Disgraces wrote:That fucking sucks. Who thought it was a good idea to ban people from covering their face?

The initiative, started long before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, makes exceptions for facial coverings worn at religious sites and for security or health purposes, but also bans coverings like the ski masks worn by protesters. Officials have two years to write legislation to put the ban into effect.

According to NYT, there still needs to be legislation written first and it also exempts face masks like those for medicine.

Sengoku Americas wrote:

Disgraces wrote:That fucking sucks. Who thought it was a good idea to ban people from covering their face?

The initiative, started long before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, makes exceptions for facial coverings worn at religious sites and for security or health purposes, but also bans coverings like the ski masks worn by protesters. Officials have two years to write legislation to put the ban into effect.

According to NYT, there still needs to be legislation written first and it also exempts face masks like those for medicine.

I was precisely talking about not being able to wear ski masks

Ah, Switzerland - where women gained suffrage at the federal level in 1971 and the last canton voted to extend suffrage to women in 1990. Glad the medieval backwardness hasn't been undermined by the piles of Nazi gold and Saudi oil money too much.

Behold: muslimas suddenly are all extremely concerned about the health of themselves and of the people arround them, so insist on wearing a facemask at al times.

Of course, since the eyes are an entrypoint for virusses, they will cover those as well. It is only medical.

Imagine not being able to do Halloween because someone felt like being kind of a shit to the Muslims.

Dogmeat wrote:Imagine not being able to do Halloween because someone felt like being kind of a shit to the Muslims.

LmO

How will protesters express their dissatisfaction toward the government without being identified, arrested, and charged with subversion now?

I do think face coverings should be banned in certain settings such as classrooms and airports in the absence of a pandemic where communication and identification are essential to executing one's professional duties or passing through security checkpoints such as immigration counters. I believe that sensitive locations such as airports and government buildings as well as private premises such as restaurants and shopping malls have a right to turn masked protesters and Muslim women away for covering their faces.

But as distasteful as I find the burka and as disgusted as I am with their controlling husbands and male relatives (the ones I've encountered in person all seem to have that nasty look on their faces), pro-democracy protesters and Muslim women alike have a right to both personal privacy as well as freedom of expression out on the streets. Muslim women are already being punished by their peers for the "crime" of not covering up. They shouldn't be punished a second time by wider society for the "crime" of covering up.

I'm opposed to this non-pandemic-related facial covering ban.

Glorious Hong Kong wrote:How will protesters express their dissatisfaction toward the government without being identified, arrested, and charged with subversion now?

Does that actually happen in Switzerland ?

So no Covid masks, no ski masks, no scarfs around faces and no more Tschäggättä!

Seems unfortunate

The Alma Mater wrote:

Glorious Hong Kong wrote:How will protesters express their dissatisfaction toward the government without being identified, arrested, and charged with subversion now?

Does that actually happen in Switzerland ?

i don't think ghk cares

Sengoku Americas wrote:

GENEVA — Switzerland on Sunday became the latest European country to ban the wearing of face coverings in public places, prohibiting the veils worn by Muslim women.

Official results of the nationwide referendum showed 51.2 percent of voters supported the ban on full facial coverings, which was proposed by the populist, anti-immigrant Swiss People’s Party (S.V.P.), compared with 48.8 percent opposing it, a much narrower margin of victory than pollsters had initially predicted.

I was quite shocked to hear that this ban passed especially given the central government's opposition. I can't say I support it either, but such moves do make Switzerland's policies similar to some other mainland European nations which also place limits on facial coverings. I'm curious about NSG's opinion: are such movements well meaning and preserving public order, or merely attempts to attack religious minorities?

Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/worl ... rings.html

I was hoping they meant masks. As for what the coverings in question are, I...I honestly do not know. I am not informed enough to offer comments.

yeah this is fucking stupid
-covid??? literally everyone is covering half their face
-religious freedom is still a thing if you're not a majority religion
-doesn't their government have anything more important to be doing
in conclusion, this sucks
thanks for coming to my ted talk, please make your way to the stage to receive your complimentary ski mask, and don't forget to wear it constantly.it's illegal to remove and trust me, i can tell if it is.

Kinda a non-issue. I don't particularly like Burkas or the rationale for wearing one, and I'll admit to having been uncomfortable the few times I've seen one. That said, I don't see why it's a pressing issue for folks, these Burka bans. In the developed world, Europe, the US, I'm not aware of any attacks or threats that have stemmed from a woman wearing a burka. In the specific case of Islamic terrorism, the perpetrator is almost always a male who doesn't wear any facial covering.

Many countries, Switzerland included, are in the midst of a pretty rough timeline. Focusing on some of these nonsense cultural litmus tests that don't affect day-to-day lives kinda seems counterproductive. Not always good practice to ban something because it makes us a little squeamish unless that something is a direct threat to our societies. I don't think the burka is.

Wink Wonk We Like Stonks wrote:-doesn't their government have anything more important to be doing

It's Switzerland

The primary function of the government there is to allow the menfolk of the village to march down to the town square, put on their 16th century costumes over their kevlar 'use in case of French invasion' body armor and vote to lynch the lovely Turkish couple who started a kebab shop down the street

Doesn't seem very Covid-safe to me, and it's xenophobic at the same time... just what Dictator Dan hates the most. Absolutely ludicrous, especially in a time like this

Facepalm!

So, now everybody will freeze their ears off in Swiss Alps while skiing because ski masks are banned?

I think it is a very good decision because closing the face poses security risks.

Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum wrote:I think it is a very good decision because closing the face poses security risks.

You must feel really threatened by bearded guys wearing sunglasses?