Belgium introduces burqa ban

A new law banning the burqa comes into force in Belgium on Saturday, Deutsche Welle reports. The law has been approved with overwhelming support by both houses of parliament, a rare display of unity in this otherwise divided nation.

Belgium is now the second country in the European Union after France to implement a burqa ban.

Peter DeDecker from the Flemish separatist party, NVA, believes that the burqa ban will help preserve fundamental Western values.

"I think we have to defend our fundamental principles of the enlightenment - men and woman are equal in all aspects," DeDecker told Deutsche Welle. "And for also safety reasons - you don't know who's behind that textile. They can carry anything with them. People feel unsafe."

As of Saturday, any woman wearing the face-covering burqa or niqab in public risks a fine of 137 euros ($197) or up to seven days in jail.