Denmark’s government approved the law under which a traditional Muslim full-face veil is banned, Muslim women cannot wear niqab, burqa, chador or anything like these in public places. The first woman in Horsholm to be fined for violating a new law, Ritzau reported.
The 28-year-old woman was fined of 1,000 kroner (£119) when she refused to remove the veil. According to the new Danish law, wearing a full-face veil in public places is illegal. On Friday, police were called to a shopping centre in Horsholm, where the woman had become involved in a scuffle with another woman who had tried to tear her niqab off, police duty officer David Borchersen told the local news agency.
The new law has provoked protests and criticism from human rights groups. It does not mention burkas and niqabs by name, but says “anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in public will be punished with a fine”. Human rights campaigners have slammed the ban as a violation of women’s rights, while supporters argue it enables better integration of Muslim immigrants into Danish society.
“During the fight her niqab came off, but by the time we arrived she had put it back on again,”
Borchersen said.
Police took a photograph of the woman wearing the niqab, and obtained security camera footage from the shopping centre of the incident. The woman was informed she would receive a fine of 1,000 kroner and was told to either remove her veil or leave the public space. In case of the repeated violations, a woman will be fined up to 10,000 kroner. The ban also targets other accessories that hide the face such as balaclavas, masks and false beards.
