Muslim women can no longer wear the full-body garment in shops, restaurants or public buildings and anyone caught flouting the ban could be struck with a £6,500 fine.
The local government of Ticino approved the referendum after the Swiss Parliament ruled that the ban did not violate the country’s federal law.
Two in three voters in the canton backed the move in an overwhelming result for a referendum, in the wake of heightened terrorist alerts across Europe.
The law which MPs voted for only applies to veils which covers the body from head to foot worn by the 40,000 Muslim women in Switzerland and also applies to all tourists visiting the area.
Categories: Europe, Hijab, Secularism, Women
Seems the people of the Canton of Ticino do not want the well-spending tourist ladies from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, who can be seen in large numbers in Geneva for instance. Surely the Concierges of the 7 and a half star hotels in Geneva will now have to inform those guests to avoid travelling to the Italian part of Switzerland.