Dutch municipality forced to apologize to niqabi woman barred from entering playground

The Netherlands’ Nijmegen Municipality was forced to apologize to a Muslim woman wearing a burqa after she was refused entry into a playground.

On Aug. 1, The Netherlands enforced a law banning all face coverings in public buildings and on public transport, however parks and playgrounds are not under this jurisdiction.

According to local media, a worker at the playground requested the Muslim woman, who had arrived with her children and family, reveal her face or leave the premises.

Upon the woman’s objections, the police were summoned and following a discussion with the municipality, it was ascertained that the burqa-wearing woman had been mistreated.

The municipality stated that the De Leemkuil playground is not a public building, apologized for the misunderstanding on social media, and the woman and her family were given free tickets for the playground.

The law bans all face-covering garb, such as motor helmets and ski-masks, in public buildings, government offices and hospitals, but not on the street.

The law is billed as a way to make schools, hospitals and public transport safer, but critics say its only aim is to get rid of Islamic veils, such as the burqa and niqab.