Reform’s burqa ban isn’t ‘Islamophobic’

MPs from Nigel Farage’s Reform party are calling for a burqa ban in Britain. Sarah Pochin, who won the Runcorn by-election last month, asked Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons this week if he would consider outlawing the garment. Her demand attracted the ire of Reform chairman Zia Yusuf, who has since stepped down from the job after saying the idea was ‘dumb’. Labour MPs, who shouted ‘shame’ at Pochin, also didn’t like the idea. But those who suggest that it is ‘Islamophobic’ to restrict the burqa are under a misapprehension.

After all, at least ten Muslim-majority countries have enforced bans, not just on the burqa, but also on the niqab, a partial face covering. These include Algeria, Azerbaijan, and Bosnia, encompassing ethnic, political, sectarian, and geographical diversity in Muslim populations that have restricted the garment in public spaces. Some of these Muslim states also have bans in place for the hijab, the Islamic head covering, in legal and public institutions that limit the display of all religious symbols.