Sri Lanka to ban burqas and close more than 1,000 Islamic schools

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA >> Sri Lanka today announced plans to ban the use of burqas and said it would close more than 1,000 Islamic schools known as madrassas, citing national security.

Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said he signed a document on Friday seeking approval from the Cabinet of Ministers to ban burqas – outer garments that cover the body and face worn by some Muslim women.

“The burqa has a direct impact on national security,” Weerasekara said in a ceremony at a Buddhist temple on Saturday, without giving details.

“In our early days, we had many Muslim friends, but Muslim women and girls never used the burqa,” said Weerasekara, according to a video sent by his ministry. “It is a sign of religious extremism that has recently emerged. We will definitely ban him.

The use of burqas was temporarily banned in 2019 after the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, which killed more than 260 people. Two local Muslim groups that have pledged their allegiance to the Islamic State group have been blamed for the attacks at six locations – two Roman Catholic churches, a Protestant church and three major hotels.

Weerasekara also said that the government will ban more than 1,000 madrasahs, claiming that they are not registered with the authorities and do not follow national education policy.

The decision to ban burqas and madrasahs is the last step affecting the Muslim minority of the island nation of the Indian Ocean.

Muslims represent about 9% of Sri Lanka’s 22 million inhabitants, where Buddhists represent more than 70% of the population. Ethnic minority Tamils, who are mainly Hindus, comprise about 15% of the population.