Bulgarian Town Pioneers Total Ban on Burqa

The southern Bulgarian town Pazardjik has become the first in Bulgaria to introduce a total ban on wearing the face-cover known as the burqa in public.

The changes to the municipal regulation on public order banning the burqa, proposed by counsellors from the nationalist National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria, were backed by 39 of 41 members of the municipal council.

'Face covering in public spaces is incompatible with universal social norms and undermines the principle of security of citizens," the backers of the proposal said..

Initially, there were two proposals for a ban on the burqa, which has become widespread among members of the Salafist community in Pazardjik over the past few years.

A lighter version of the ban was tabled by the Mayor, Todor Popov, from the the centrist GERB party, who proposed banning the use of the burqa in public institutions.

But on Tuesday Popov scrapped his own proposal and a more restrictive one, filed by the NFSB, was voted on and approved. The only two municipal counsellors who rejected the ban were representatives of the ethnic Roma group, Euroroma.

The bylaw, which will enter into force in seven days, bans wearing face covering in all public spaces, including parks, gardens, schools, and on public and private transport.

Exceptions may be made only for medical or professional reasons as well as during sporting and cultural events.

The ban will not be in force in private homes in Pazardjik, or in places of worship.

Offenders will be fined 300 leva - around 150 euros - for the first offence and around 1,000 leva - around 500 euros - for subsequent offences.

Pazardjik's Iztok neighbourhood, home to around 20,000 mainly Roma people, has become a stronghold of radical...