Burqa ban

Maaseik, Belgium

A Moroccan-born woman living in a small Belgian town has become a national flash point after defying a new local law banning the wearing of the burqa. The woman, who refuses to give her name, is the wife of Khalid Bouloudo, who has been accused of involvement in the 2004 Madrid train bombings. The city of Maaseik fined her more than $100 for wearing the Islamic robe, which covers the face and body completely, but she has refused to pay. The case has ignited a debate in Belgium over whether the burqa should be banned nationwide. “For security reasons,” said Maaseik’s mayor, Jan Creemers, “we want people to be recognizable as they walk along our streets.”