Free Republic

Denmark has approved a plan to erect a fence on its border with Germany to keep out swine fever but critics argue that is a symbolic gesture epitomizing anti-immigrant sentiments. Denmark’s government gave greenlight to the building of the 68-kilometer (42-mile) fence on the border with fellow EU member state Germany. The project is worth EUR 11 million, and is supposed to protect the large Danish pork industry from wild boar that might carry African swine fever, DW reports. The Danish-German border fence will be 1.5 meters tall and half-meter deep, and will run from one coast of the Jutland...

Less than a quarter of Danes oppose a ban on the burqa and niqab, according to a new survey. A majority of the population support banning the two types of Islamic veil in public, according to an opinion poll carried out by Epinion on behalf of broadcaster DR. According to the poll, 62 percent said they support a full ban on wearing the burqa and niqab in public, while 23 percent said the veils should continue to be allowed. 12 percent responded “do not know”, while three percent declined to answer the question. Last week, a Danish model agency announced...

The Swiss may get the chance to vote on the introduction of a nationwide ban on the burqa after campaigners from the so-called Egerkingen committee succeeded in gathering the required number of signatures to push the issue to a referendum. In March 2016, the committee launched a popular initiative to ban the burqa and other full-face coverings and had until this month to gather the 100,000 signatures required under the Swiss system of direct democracy to push it to a public vote. On Wednesday, Swiss People’s Party (SVP) MP Walter Wobmann, a leading member of the committee and a long-time...

The upper house of parliament has rejected the idea of a nationwide ban on the Islamic face veil and other face coverings. The draft bill, which was narrowly passed by the lower house last September, was opposed by the senate after a debate on Thursday, reported news agencies. The proposal by hardline Swiss People’s Party (SVP) MP Walter Wobmann called for a federal ban on the burqa, niqab and other full face coverings in public, along the same lines as a cantonal ban that came into effect in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in July last year. …

Interior ministers from Germany’s main conservative parties want stricter rules for Muslims living in Germany in the wake of recent Islamist-linked attacks. State interior ministers for the conservative Union parties (Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union) are calling for greater restrictions on Muslims living in Germany, including a burqa ban, as politicians mull tougher anti-terror policies. […] The proposal — which has already been criticized for reportedly suggesting a softening of doctor-patient confidentiality rules and ending dual citizenship — is set to be presented on August 18th. …

Islamic full-face veils should be banned in shopping centers, public buildings and on public transport, UKIP leadership hopeful Lisa Duffy has said. She said she did not want a general law banning the veil, but there were some places it should not be allowed. The councillor — one of six vying for leader — also said she would close Islamic schools and ban Sharia courts. Meanwhile, MEP candidate Bill Etheridge warned against focusing solely on Islam as it “makes us look small-minded”. …

A new burka ban has been enforced in a Swiss canton, with two people already being fined for defying it. A Swiss woman, who has converted to Islam, and a French-Algerian businessman publicly opposed the ban in the city of Locarno in the canton of Tessin were both fined when the new rule came into effect last Friday. Anyone caught wearing a veil in the canton, which is Italian-speaking and predominantly Roman Catholic, can reportedly be fined up to €9,200 (£7,890). …

Yes, teach us about dialogue. Interfaith dialogue socks a woman who opposes the cloth coffin. That's the kicker. And the chaser is the dhimma West enforcing this barbaric code of savagery.In Italy, "an Italian woman protesting the Burka will be jailed, but not the Muslim immigrant who attacked her to defend his right to abuse women with the Burka." Female Politician Attacked by Muslim Over Burka Protest May be Jailed FrontPage Magazine ‎- Obviously it's the native Italian woman protesting the Burka who will be jailed.Obviously it’s the native Italian woman protesting the Burka who will be jailed, not the...

A jihadist group affiliated with Al Qaeda has threatened to carry out terrorist attacks in Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeastern Spain that is home to the largest concentration of radical Islamists in Europe. The threats were issued by a group called "Africamuslima" in response to efforts by Catalonian lawmakers to increase surveillance of radical Salafists seeking to impose Islamic Sharia law in Spain and other parts of Europe. Catalonia -- a region of 7.5 million people centered on the Mediterranean city of Barcelona -- is home to the largest Muslim population in Spain. Most of the estimated 450,000 Muslims...

The town of Trappes in Yvelines department (county), just outside Paris, was again the scene of street disturbances Sunday night as protesters, thought to be mainly Muslims, faced off with local police and riot police. Trappes and surrounding towns had also witnessed violent protests Friday and Saturday evening after police had attempted to book a Muslim woman for wearing a full face niqab in contravention of France’s so-called burqa ban. ... The violence stemmed from an incident last Thursday when police tried to carry out an identity check and give a ticket to a woman wearing a niqab — a...

"The law should be applied, and applies to everyone." That principle, so hard-won in the West, is rapidly giving way. "5 injured in clashes at burka riot outside Paris ... About 250 people hurling projectiles clashed with police firing tear gas west of Paris, in apparent protest over enforcement of France’s ban on Islamic face veils. Five people were injured and six detained in the violence, authorities said Saturday.

Her mouth might be covered, but she won't be silenced. A veil-wearing Muslim woman who was detained in Paris hours after France's "burqa ban" went into effect yesterday is vowing to fight the controversial law in the European Court of Human Rights. "This measure is illegal. It is solely designed to oppress women in my position," said Kenza Drider, who wears a traditional Islamic niqab that covers her face, leaving only a slit for her brown eyes. Drider, a 32-year-old French citizen of North African descent, was briefly detained along with another niqab-wearing woman yesterday for taking part in an...

Lleida in the northeastern Catalonia region on Thursday became Spain's first city to introduce a ban on wearing the face-covering Islamic burqa in public places. These places include offices, sports centres, markets and other property owned by the city council. The niqab - which covers the face but leaves a small slit for the eyes - has also been banned. In neighbouring France, the national parliament in September outlawed the burqa and veils which cover the face... The same month, two separate bills were presented in the upper and lower houses of the Italian parliament which aim to end the...

Angela Merkel does not make the covers of Dutch newspapers very often. But the German chancellor's assertion last week that "multiculturalism has absolutely failed" in her country was headline news in the Netherlands. As far as the Dutch are concerned, the Germans - whom they consider to sometimes be politically behind the times - have finally woken up. The Netherlands' dream of a happy, harmonious multicultural society burst on a grey autumn morning six years ago in Amsterdam. On November 2, 2004, an Islamic extremist gunned down Dutch filmmaker and Islam critic Theo van Gogh in the street, then slit...

Australia's peak Islamic organisation has reacted with disappointment over Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi's comments yesterday that the burka is "un-Australian" and should be banned. South Australian Senator Bernardi lashed out in an article which was published on The Drum website, saying the burka "needs to be binned". He called it a "repressive domination of men over women" and said it establishes "different sets and expectations in society". Prime Minister Kevin Rudd responded today, accusing the Opposition of playing a cynical political exercise by floating the idea of banning the burka. "I think they are walking both sides of the street...

A CALL for a controversial ban on wearing the burqa in public has split opinion and sparked outrage from the Muslim community who labelled it a political stunt. Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi yesterday sparked outrage after he called for the Islamic headdress to be banned following an earlier robbery in a Sydney store by a burqa clad man. Writing on his personal blog, the outspoken senator said the veil was "emerging as the preferred disguise of bandits and n'er do wells".

FRANCE'S top administrative body has advised the government against slapping a complete ban on the full Islamic veil but says outlawing the burqa in some places was justified for security reasons. MPs from President Nicolas Sarkozy's party said they were determined to push for a total ban of the full-face veil in draft legislation to be presented in the coming weeks. Jean Leonetti, insisted a total ban was the only answer and that MPs could well decide to ignore the State Council's recommendations. "A ban needs to be complete or else it is misunderstood," said Mr Leonetti. "We still are...