Tunisia bans face veils in public institutions after bombing

Tunisia bans face veils in public institutions after bombing

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has banned the wearing of the niqab – a full-face veil – in public institutions with immediate effect, citing security reasons. 

“Chahed signed a government decree that bars any person with an undisclosed face from access to public headquarters, administrations, institutions for security reasons,” an official source told Reuters News Agency on Friday. 

The decision, which was reported on state media, comes at a time of heightened security in the country following a double suicide bombing in the capital, Tunis, on June 27 that left two people dead and seven wounded. Witnesses said one of the bombers was disguised in a niqab. 

The Interior Ministry denied this and said the mastermind of the bombings blew himself up on Tuesday to evade capture.