“Amnistia Internacional expressed significant concern, not about the country’s corruption but over the ban on burqas. This highlights how these international institutions have become strongholds of the left,” stated André Ventura.
Ventura was speaking at an outdoor restaurant in Loures, Lisbon, before several municipal officials elected by Chega in this locality and in Odivelas.
The Chega leader criticized human rights institutions that opposed the general approval of the bill aiming to ban facial concealment, accusing them of advocating for women’s rights while supporting wearing burqas.
“Is it acceptable for women to be covered in black without their faces visible, with husbands dictating their actions? Is this alright? This is not leftism, not human rights, but pure hypocrisy that must be dismantled,” he argued.
He asserted that the burqa symbolizes women’s humiliation, domination, and oppression, and that banning it respects Portuguese culture rather than constitutes persecution or radicalism.
“We know these regimes and this cultural model have historically oppressed women and stripped them of personality. Covering one’s face removes personality, annihilates it. No political sphere had the courage to address this in Portugal,” Ventura highlighted.
He also stated that the number of women wearing burqas in Portugal does not matter for enforcing the ban.
“It’s not about the number of women in burqas or Islamic men, but about decency versus indecency, right values versus wrong ones, defending our civilization,” he maintained.
Ventura added that if Chega led the government, no illegal immigrants would remain in the country without being expelled, and anyone who commits crimes upon gaining Portuguese nationality would lose it.
Furthermore, if an immigrant disrespects Portuguese culture or dislikes Portugal’s symbols, “they would be promptly returned to their country of origin,” he declared.
Amnesty International condemned the Portuguese parliament’s approval of Chega’s bill prohibiting facial concealment in public, calling it discriminatory and a violation of women’s rights.
On October 17, PSD, IL, and CDS-PP approved the law in principle, citing women’s rights and security issues, with Chega, PSD, IL, and CDS-PP voting in favor, PS, Livre, BE, and PCP opposing, and PAN and JPP abstaining.
