COLOMBO/KATTANKUDY, Sri Lanka (Reuters) – Authorities in Sri Lanka on Monday banned women from wearing face veils under an emergency law put in place after deadly Easter Sunday attacks by Islamist militants. The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), the top body of Islamic scholars in Sri Lanka, said they supported a short-term ban on security grounds, but opposed any attempt to legislate against burqas. “That needless restriction means that Muslim women whose practice leads them to cover up now won’t be able to leave home,” the group’s executive director Kenneth Roth tweeted. Owais Ibrahim, a Muslim shopkeeper, said he supported a ban on face coverings for security reasons. “If we are living in Sri Lanka, we must respect their rules.”Reporting by Ranga Sirilal, Alasdair Pal.

Source: Egypt Independent April 29, 2019 13:52 UTC