Congo Brazaville:Government bans Islamic face Veil in public places
Authorities in Congo Brazaville have but a public ban on the Islamic veil that covers the face.
The government says its part of its plan to fight terrorism. According to BBC, Muslims from other countries who come into Congo Brazaville will not be allowed to spend nights in the mosque.
The BBC quotes a government spokesman who says that Congo Brazaville is a secular country that respected all religions but added that some Muslim women had used the veil as a disguise in order to commit terrorist offences.
Congo-Brazzaville is thought to be the first country in the West African Region to ban full face veils and burkas, the most concealing of all Islamic veils.
The Muslim community in Congo Brazzaville is estimated at 5% percent of the population.
In 2005 a large new mosque was constructed in Brazzaville. Most workers in the urban centers were immigrants from West Africa and Lebanon, with some also from North Africa.