Burqas & bombings: The legacy of joining dots

In Cameroon, on 12 July 2015, two women dressed in religious garments blew themselves up in Fotokol, killing 13 people. Following the attacks, Cameroon banned the wearing of full-face Islamic veils, including the burqa, in the Far North region.

In Chad, following a double suicide bombing on 15 June 2015 which killed 33 people in N'Djamena, the Chadian government announced on 17 June 2015 a ban on wearing burqas in its territory for security reasons.

Also Read: Hijab for safety of women, ensures they’re not harassed

In Congo-Brazzaville, the full-face Islamic veil was banned in May 2015 in public places to prevent "counter-terrorism", although there has not been an Islamic attack in the country. Gabon, on 15 July 2015, announced a ban on the wearing of full-face veils in public and places of work. The mainly Christian country said it was prompted to do so because of the attacks in Cameroon

Also Read: Islam did not introduce veiling, it was always a regional practice

Kosovo (since 2009), Azerbaijan (since 2010), Tunisia (since 1981,[6] partially lifted in 2011) and Turkey (gradually lifted) are the only Muslim-majority countries which have banned the "hijab" in public schools and universities or government buildings, while Syria banned face veils in universities from July 2010.

In other Muslim states such as Morocco, there have been complaints of restriction or discrimination against women who wear the hijab. The hijab in these cases is seen as a sign of political Islam or fundamentalism pitted against a secular government.