Sri Lanka to ban burqas, close over 1,000 Islamic schools

Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the party is always right.

George Orwell, he/his/him

Sri Lanka on Saturday announced plans to ban the wearing of burqas and said it would close more than 1,000 Islamic schools known as madrassas, citing national security.

"The burqa has a direct impact on national security", [Minister of Public Security] Weerasekara told a ceremony at a Buddhist temple on Saturday, without elaborating.

"In our early days, we had a lot of Muslim friends, but Muslim women and girls never wore the burqa", Weerasekara said, according to video footage sent by his ministry. "It is a sign of religious extremism that came about recently. We will definitely ban it".

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

Muslims make up about 9% of the 22 million people in Sri Lanka, where Buddhists account for more than 70% of the population. Ethnic minority Tamils, who are mainly Hindus, comprise about 15% of the population.

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Sri Lanka to ban burqas, close over 1,000 Islamic schools

Rampant Islamophobia and offending mostly peaceful Muslims will not go unanswered