Former President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, expressed on Saturday that there is no “problem with the use of burqa or niqab in Portugal,” while accusing the far-right of trying to create one.
“I regret that those in the parliamentary groups of the PSD and IL, who claim to be social democrats or liberals, have fallen into the xenophobic manipulation of the far-right. There is no issue regarding the use of burqa or niqab in Portugal. It is the far-right that wants to create it,” the socialist stated on Facebook.
Augusto Santos Silva also agreed with the position of the imam of the Lisbon Central Mosque, David Munir, who accused politicians of “covering the Portuguese people’s eyes” with the new legislation against the burqa, as well as delivering an Islamophobic and anti-immigrant discourse, instead of addressing the country’s problems.
The sheikh highlighted that “a handful of Muslim women” wear the burqa (full body cover) in Portugal, while “just over a dozen” opt for the niqab (face mask).
“Practically speaking, how many Muslim women have been caught with their faces covered committing something that endangered security?” he asked. And answered: “Zero.”
David Munir further assured that there are no cases of Muslim women refusing to identify themselves to authorities while wearing a burqa or niqab.
“With so many serious problems we have in our country, with babies being born in ambulances or hospitals being closed because there are no doctors, [instead of] dedicating our time to these situations and seeking solutions for them, we are discussing the attire of a Muslim woman,” he criticized, pointing out that the law “is a way to cover the eyes of tax-paying Portuguese” and “to divert attention from more serious issues” in the country.
The imam of the Lisbon Central Mosque accused politicians today of “covering the eyes of the Portuguese” with new legislation against the burqa and an Islamophobic and anti-immigrant discourse, instead of solving the country’s problems.
Lusa | 17:22 – 17/10/2025
It is recalled that PSD, IL, and CDS-PP approved, in general, the draft law of Chega to ban the use of the burqa in public spaces, citing women’s rights and security issues, on Friday. The initiative also received votes against from PS, Livre, BE, and PCP, and abstention from PAN and JPP.
With this law, Chega proposes that “the use of clothing intended to conceal or obstruct the exhibition of the face” be banned in public spaces, with some exceptions. Opening the debate, the leader of that party specified that the aim is to prohibit women from wearing the burqa in Portugal and specifically addressed immigrants.
“Whoever comes to Portugal, from wherever they come, from whatever region they come, with whatever customs they have or whatever religion they have, must above all comply with, respect, and make others respect the customs and values of this country,” defended André Ventura.
