A new law Austria means there is now a ban full-face veils. This means Muslim women will not be allowed to wear a full-face veil public in the country. The new law says faces must be visible the hairline to the chin. The government said the law is to protect traditional Austrian values. The law bans Muslim veils such as the burka or niqab. Muslim groups have said the law is very unfair because it goes human rights and religious freedom. They say that just a tiny minority Austrian Muslims wears full-face veils. They put the number around 150. Officials say the law will damage Austria's economy. They say many Muslim tourists will decide not to visit Austria.
Austria is the third European country to ban the wearing the veil. France and Belgium introduced similar bans 2011. Other countries Europe could follow. The Dutch government is currently working passing a ban and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that the full-face veil should be banned Germany "wherever it is legally possible". Carla Amina Bhagajati the Islamic Religious Community in Austria talked how unfair the new law is. She said the "handful" fully veiled women in Austria are now "criminalized" and "restricted to their homes". A supporter the ban Emma Schwaiger said: "It's not right that those living here don't show their faces."
