‘It’s A Sign Of Religious Extremism That Came About Recently’: Sri Lanka To Ban Wearing Burqas; Shut Over 1000 Madrassas

In a major development, Sri Lanka's Minister for Public Security Sarath Weerasekera yesterday (13 March) shared that the island nation has decided to ban the wearing of the burqa and shut more than a thousand Islamic schools, reports India Today.

Weerasekara asserted, "In our early days Muslim women and girls never wore the burqa,” he said. “It is a sign of religious extremism that came about recently. We are definitely going to ban it."

Weerasekaran also shared that the Government was planning to ban more than a thousand madrassa Islamic schools which were flouting national education policy. He said, "Nobody can open a school and teach whatever you want to the children"

It should be noted that the wearing of burqa was previously banned temporarily in Sri Lanka in 2019, after the bombing of churches and hotels by Islamic militants that killed more than 250. The ban was lifted earlier this year after criticism from the United States and international rights groups.