New policy brief by Robert Gould.
This paper examines the following question: If it is unacceptable for a woman to be obliged by family or co-religionists to hide her face in public, is it acceptable for the state to oblige her to reveal it even if she herself does not want to?
In contrast to other countries’ political and judicial actions, the Spanish Supreme Court decided to give constitutional protection to the burqa, raising questions of cultural identity, women’s rights, religious freedom, and public safety, among others.
This policy brief is part of a series funded by the Centre for European Studies (European Union Centre of Excellence [EUCE] at Carleton University) and the Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue (CETD). The EUCE is funded in part by a grant from the European Union. CETD receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union, CETD, or SSHRC.