‘Racist agenda’: Fear, worries over Sri Lanka’s burqa ban

Proposal to ban the burqa in Sri Lanka viewed by many as attempt to appease Sri Lanka’s Buddhist majority.

Sri Lanka’s move to ban the burqa on “national security” grounds while calling its use “religious extremism” has been termed a “racist agenda” used to cause divisions in the country. A burqa is an outer garment worn to cover the entire body and the face and is used by some Muslim women. On Saturday, Sri Lanka’s Minister for Public Security Sarath Weerasekera said he had signed a paper for cabinet approval to ban the burqa, adding that the government also plans to ban more than 1,000 Islamic schools that were defying national education policy.