Women who wear burqas and full face veils in public in a Swiss state could be fined up to $9000 under new rules imposed after a local referendum.
Females muslims will be banned from wearing the burqa in shops, restaurants or public buildings in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.
The local government in the southern Swiss state approved the ban after a referendum in September 2013 saw two in three voters backing the move.
According to the Local, the Ticino government had wanted to ban burqas and niqabs as well as masks worn by demonstrators and balaclavas.
The Swiss Parliament says the ban does not violate federal law but it is not yet known when the new rules will come into force.
The ban on the burqa echoes similar legislation put in place in France, where women can be fined an initial penalty of £35 for wearing the garment, which can be increased to £150.
France’s parliament passed the burka ban in 2010, leading to protests from Islamic groups who said it was discriminatory.
France has the biggest Muslim population in western Europe, and many believe that society has an agenda against them.
Read More: MPs in Swiss state of Ticino back burqa ban
