A burqa clad Sri Lankan Muslim woman walks in a street of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, March 13, 2021.
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.
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)COLOMBO – 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,” Weerasekara told a ceremony at a Buddhist temple on Saturday, without elaborating.
Muslims make up about 9% of the 22 million people in Sri Lanka, where Buddhists account for more than 70% of the population.