DAVAO CITY—A female Muslim member of the Davao City Council has thrown her full support for the decision of the local government to check the faces of Muslim women wearing burqa and niqab.
Councilor Halila Sudagar believed that such an inspection was necessary and downplayed insinuations of discrimination against Muslims or disrespect of their religion.
The policy, proposed by security officials to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte following the September 2 blast that killed 15 people and wounded 69 others, also discourages the wearing of other garments that cover the faces such as balaclavas, sunglasses, caps, masks or even paint.
Muslim women wearing niqab or burqa will be asked by authorities to show their faces when they are in public places such as malls and parks.
Duterte earlier said the sentiments of the Muslims women were understandable and suggested that they “wear the hijab which shows their face or cooperate with the security personnel and show their face if they are wearing the burqa.”
Sudagar said the security protocol was consistent with the objective of the local government to protect the public from lawless elements.
“For the purpose of achieving lasting peace, both for Muslims and non-Muslims, I humbly suggest that we cooperate with the authorities,” she said. “For those who wear niqab and burqa, let us submit ourselves to appropriate inspection, and remove the face cover if necessary under given circumstances.”
Sudagar said there are terrorist groups that use Muslim clothing to cover themselves.
“We are aware that some terrorists who pretend to be Muslims wear hijab and niqab to conceal their identities, thus evading apprehension or identification by authorities,” she said.
The councilor said it was high time the public was assured that Muslims are against terrorism.
