A state in Australia has introduced a new law which would require Muslim women to remove burqa to prove their identity to the police.
The new law was incepted following public outcry over a case of burqa-wearing woman Carnita Matthews, who was sentenced to six-month jail after she was found guilty of falsely accusing a senior constable of forcibly trying to remove her burqa when she was pulled over while driving in June 2010.
However, she was later acquitted after the prosecution failed to prove she was the woman who signed the statement while wearing burqa. The new law will apply to clothing, hat, mask, sunglasses or ‘anything worn by a person that totally or partially covers the person’s head’.
The new law was incepted following public outcry over a case of burqa-wearing woman Carnita Matthews, who was sentenced to six-month jail after she was found guilty of falsely accusing a senior constable of forcibly trying to remove her burqa when she was pulled over while driving in June 2010.
However, she was later acquitted after the prosecution failed to prove she was the woman who signed the statement while wearing burqa. The new law will apply to clothing, hat, mask, sunglasses or ‘anything worn by a person that totally or partially covers the person’s head’.