(Yle) Finland’s minister of social security, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP), has spoken out on social media against the wearing of burkas and niqabs in schools. Posting on X, she said face coverings do not belong in schools.
“Burkas and niqabs — scarves and veils covering the face — are not suitable for school. Children should be allowed to be children and live freely in Finnish society,” the minister wrote.
She described the issue as one of equality, children’s rights and safety, and also addressed the broader use of headscarves, calling it “a difficult question of religious freedom.”
Burkas and niqabs are worn in some Islamic communities for religious and cultural reasons.
