Dutch "burqa ban" may go after government falls

GUESS THERE WON'T BE
A MARKET FOR THIS THEN?

With the collapse of the Dutch centre-right government, the Netherlands may now drop some of its most eye-popping proposals aimed at Muslims and other immigrants and could soften its strong anti-immigration rhetoric.

A ban on Muslim face veils, such as the Arabic-style niqabs that leave the eyes uncovered and Afghan-style burqas that cover the face with a cloth grid, is less likely to go ahead after the government collapsed at the weekend.

The minority Liberal-Christian Democrat coalition's alliance with Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) fell apart when they could not reach agreement on crucial budget cuts. An election has been called for Sept 12.

In return for Mr Wilders' support in parliament, the government had proposed a number of laws, including bans on Muslim face veils and on dual nationality.

If it appears clear that there is no longer a parliamentary majority in favor of such proposals, they could soon be taken "off the table", said Mr Maurits Berger, professor of Islam in the contemporary West at Leiden University.

Now that the government has fallen, Dutch Immigration Minister Gerd Leers will no longer push for issues such as the need to make it harder for immigrants to bring in other family members, his spokesman said. 

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