Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Society

This proposal has caused a rather heated debate in the public and in the media during the past few days.

The head imam of the Estonian Muslim community, Ildar Muhamedshin, has said that he hoped that wearing an important religious attire would not be forbidden in Estonia, adding that this would be a serious violation of the Constitution of Estonia.

The Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner Mari-Liis Sepper agreed, asserting that by outlawing clothing that carries cultural or religious significance, the State would restrict human rights.

MEP Urmas Paet (ALDE, Reform Party), on the other hand, said that covering one's face has nothing to do with religious freedom, as it actually oppresses women. “We have to oppose attempts to restrict women's rights,” he said.

Another Reform Party member, MP Rait Maruste, former judge at the European Court of Human Rights, spoke out in favour of the ban, also emphasizing the security aspect of not allowing people to cover their faces.