Bulgaria has banned the burqa in schools, cultural institutions, public recreation areas, sports and communication, the institutions of Bulgaria’s central and local administrations, and places of worship. Bulgaria has a 12% Muslim population and with the influx of refugees, the possibility of radicalization has raised security concerns. Needless to say the Muslims are not too happy about the new law. The penalty for refusing to obey the law is a fine of $860 and loss of all government freebies.
The ban will also include those Muslims who are visiting in Bulgaria. Many other countries have a partial ban on the burqa but this is believed to be the harshest yet based on the penalties for noncompliance. terrorists could easily use the burqa to hide their identity. A man could dress up in a burqa and they could hide explosives or automatic weapons under the loose clothing.
From The Conservative Tribune:
Bulgaria has a population of around 7.2 million people, of which about 12 percent are Muslim. Most Muslims in Bulgaria are ethnic Turks — a community in Bulgaria that goes back centuries.
The large influx of Muslim refugees that has devastated communities throughout Europe has concerned Bulgarians over the threat to their majority Orthodox Christian culture and the potential radicalization of the sizable Muslim community in the country.
As other countries have noted, the burqa can be a potential security threat — even the Islamic State group recognized this threat and banned the garment from administrative buildings because of the ability to conceal weapons or explosives underneath the oppressive clothing.