Co-Founders Of "Portuguese Soul Islamic Faith" Project React To Niqab And Burqa Ban In Portugal

ODIVELAS, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 22: Sarika Karim, co-founder of "Portuguese Soul Islamic Faith" Project, that reach to women who define themselves as “Portuguese, Muslim, free,” and decided to come forward to show that “it is possible to fully live your Portuguese identity and Islamic faith without one canceling out the other,” holds her a Misbaha or Tasbih, is a string of prayer beads used for reciting praises of God, known as dhik, during an interview about the Portuguese Parliament approval of niqab and burqa ban on October 22, 2025 in Odivelas, Portugal. Portuguese Parliament parliament has approved a bill banning face veils worn for “gender or religious” reasons in public, a measure proposed by the far-right Chega party seen as targeting Muslim women who cover their face. Burqas and niqabs would be prohibited from being worn in most public places Face veils would still be allowed in airplanes, diplomatic premises and places of worship. The bill has been justified in the name of “security” and “women's freedom,” but it is contested by the members of the Muslim community, pointing out that “very few women in Portugal cover their faces.” (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)