Demonstrators protest after the Burqa ban referendum was narrowly approved by the electorate, Sunday, March 7, 2021, in Bern Switzerland. Swiss voters have narrowly approved a proposal to ban face coverings, both the niqabs and burqas worn by a few ... more > By Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times - Monday, March 8, 2021 A controversial referendum in Switzerland to ban full-face covers like the burqa and niqab narrowly passed over the weekend by 51.21% of voters. Critics, such as Amnesty International’s Switzerland office, are already branding the ban as “needlessly” divisive. “After the vote to ban minarets, Swiss voters have once again approved an initiative that discriminates against one religious community in particular, needlessly fueling division and fear,” Cyrielle Huguenot, head of women’s rights at Amnesty International’s Switzerland office, said in a statement, ABC News reported. “The ban on the full-face veil cannot be viewed as a measure that liberates women. On the contrary, it is a dangerous and symbolic policy that violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion.”