Cabinet has Plans to Limit Islamic Robes

February 9, 2008

Author: Staff Writer

Source: STLtoday/St. Louis Post-Dispatch

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/world/story/650DBF3370472CA1862573EA0015F54F?OpenDocument

The Dutch Cabinet said Friday it wants to ban burqas from all schools and prevent government employees from wearing the head-to-toe Islamic robes, but said it was impossible to outlaw them altogether.

In a policy letter to Parliament, the Cabinet said it would send a proposal to lawmakers within a few months on banning burqas. The move is largely symbolic, as only around 150 women are believed to wear burqas in this country of 16 million. But it is another sign of the turning tide of Dutch tolerance as the nation seeks to assimilate its Muslim population of about 840,000.