Most Finnish political parties do not support a full ban on face coverings, which would de facto target some Muslim women, except the populist right wing Finns Party.
A better alternative, according to MPs, is a partial ban similar to Germany and the Netherlands which prohibits the use of burqas for example by people working the the army or legal and electoral authorities.
So far, the issue has not been dealt with by parliamentary groups, and STT Finnish News Agency asked their positions.
Different Viewpoints: Right
The question has sparked a range of different replies from different parties as you might expect.
“Discussions with representatives have clearly highlighted the need to prohibit face coverings in public as a main rule” says Leena Meri (Finns).
“The exception would be for protection against the cold” she added.
When temperatures dip down below zero, many people in Finland cover as much of their faces as possible to guard against the bitter cold weather. This is not the type of face covering that Meri wants to ban.
Also on the political right, Peter Östman of the Christian Democrats says identification of individuals is essential.
“Identification is of particular importance when it comes to public officials and people in public service positions. For example, day care centres, schools, health care and public transport personnel. The ban could also prohibit covered faces in protests as well” he says.
“I support the German and Netherlands’ ban on burqas in situations where you have to be able to see someone’s face” says Blue Group’s Simon Elo.
“This type of situation could be schools, the military, the judiciary and electoral authorities” he says.
“I actually think that seeing someones face is desirable” says Stefan Wallin (SFP).
“At the same time, I think that criminalizing is always a last resort. That is why we have traditionally been quite restrained in these matters in Finland, for example, thinking about the culture of motorcycle gangs” adds the former Defence Minister.
Different Viewpoints: left
“In special cases the use of veils covering the faces can be appropriate, but there are no grounds for a comprehensive, blanket ban on the use of veils” says SDP’s Antti Lindtman.
Meanwhile from the Left Alliance Aino-Kaisa Pekonen says she thinks it’s difficult to justify any ban like this, which would restrict religious freedoms in Finland.
“It would be essential to ask, on what grounds could a ban like this be justified, and what problem in Finland would it solve?” she says.
Other EU Examples
In Austria, a ban on face coverings came into force at the beginning of October, and Denmark is preparing a similar law. In France and Belgium, burqas have been prohibited in public since 2011.
However in Finland, concealment of the face for religious reasons is not a significant problem at this time.
“Before the issue is dealt with, you have to ask the question, what social problems would banning face coverings tackle” asks Kalle Jokinen from the National Coalition Party.
Public Debate
The Centre Party’s Antti says it might be useful to consider whether legislation needs to be updated and compared with decisions in other European countries.
He also calls for an open political debate.
“There are situations where it would be justified to limit the use of veils that cover the face. For example, there are jobs where communication is particularly important such as teaching or customer service” says Kaikkonen.
“At the same time, we should take into account that it is a question of basic rights and religious identity” he adds.
Krista Mikkonen of the Greens says that in Finland in your spare time, you can dress as you like, and therefore there shouldn’t be a problem with headscarves or coverings in a public place.
On the other hand, she says, it is reasonable to expect that people in public positions show their face at work. However, Mikkonen doesn’t think legislation is the best – or first – tool to deal with this subject.
