The Government of the southeastern German state of Bavaria on Tuesday agreed with Legislation that bans face veils in select public spaces and situations.

“Face veiling will be prohibited in the fields of civil service, universities, schools, kindergartens, in the fields of public general safety and order, and at elections,’’ the state government announced after a cabinet session.

Bavaria, situated on the German border with Austria and the Czech Republic, was the first point of entry for the hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees who entered Germany in 2015.

The premier of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, has been one of the most vocal critics of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policies as the 2015 influx stoked Germans’ concerns about domestic security and the integration of migrants into German culture.

According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, a Muslim woman who veils her face is acting contrary to the local German culture of communication.

“A communicative exchange takes place not only through speech, but also through looks, expressions and gestures.

“It forms the foundation of our interpersonal relationships and is the basis of our society and free and democratic order,’’ Herrmann stressed. (dpa/NAN)
ACO/AMY