Belgium’s lower house of parliament supports burqa ban; question arises in Senate

Lower house OK’s Belgium burqa ban; hurdle remains

BRUSSELS — Belgium’s lower house of parliament has approved a bill to ban burqa-type Islamic dress in public.

But the bill faces a sudden hurdle in the Belgian senate, putting quick passage in doubt.

Christian Democrats and Liberals in the Senate on Thursday questioned the phrasing of the law, which says no one can appear in public “with the face fully or partly covered.”

Last week, Premier Yves Leterme’s government of Christian Democrats, Liberals and Socialists Belgium fell over an issue unrelated to the burqa. Belgians face early elections, and that may delay passage of the burqa ban by months.