Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

China approve ban on the burqa in Xinjiang city with large Muslim population

Urumqi ban will see women prohibited from wearing the full face veil in public places

Heather Saul
Tuesday 13 January 2015 11:58 EST
Comments
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region approved a regulation banning the wearing of the burqa in the regional capital of Urumqi
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region approved a regulation banning the wearing of the burqa in the regional capital of Urumqi (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Legislators in a region of China with a large Muslim population have approved a ban on women wearing a traditional Islamic garment known as a burqa in public, state media has reported.

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region approved a regulation banning the wearing of the burqa in the regional capital of Urumqi.

The ban on the burqa was "considered and approved" by the Urumqi parliament's Standing Committee in December, Reuters reported.

At the time, many Xinjiang experts warned the outlawing of veils and the heavy-handed enforcement of the rules would further stigmatise the region's minority Uighurs.

Xinjiang, home to the Uighur people who speak a Turkic language, has been beset for years by violence that the government blames on Islamist militants or separatists.

Around 45 per cent of the population of Xinjiang is Muslim. The Uighur minority say that the government's repressive policies and controls on Islam are to blame for provoking spates of unrest there.

Xinhua quoted the regional People's Congress as saying the legislation will go into effect after being amended.

In July, authorities in Urumqi banned all bus passengers from carrying items ranging from cigarette lighters to yogurt and water, in a bid to prevent violent attacks.

In August, Karamay, a northwestern city in Xinjiang, banned people with head scarves, veils and long beards from boarding buses.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in