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Spanish official defends voluntary use of burqa
Jan 20, 2011, 16:17 GMT
Madrid - The Spanish ombudswoman, charged with defending citizens' rights, on Thursday defended Muslim women's right to wear the all-body veil, or burqa, if they want to do so.
Maria Luisa Cava de Llano said she was not against the burqa as long as it did not signal 'submission to the man and degrade the female condition.'
However, she said it was 'a different matter' if the burqa was banned for reasons of public order.
Cava de Llano made her comments after a court in north-eastern Spain temporarily overturned a burqa ban issued by the city of Lerida. The court is due to take a definitive decision later on.
In May, Lerida became the first Spanish municipality to outlaw the burqa in public buildings and areas. Several other Catalan municipalities followed its example.
Municipalities outlawing the burqa have argued that it discriminates against women or that it makes it impossible to identify people.
Spain has more than 2 million Muslims. However, very few of the country's Muslim women wear burqas.
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