Georgia lawmakers abandon bill that would have outlawed Muslim veils

On Tuesday, Georgia lawmaker Jason Spencer introduced a short-lived piece of legislation that would outlaw wearing hoods or head coverings in public places.

The proposed bill was heavily criticized and was seen by many as a direct target against Muslim women who wear head coverings (hijabs) or full-face coverings (niqabs), even tough the bill did not mention Muslims in any way.

Here’s an exert from House Bill 3 that would have made it a misdemeanor crime to wear head coverings in public.

A person is guilty of a misdemeanor when he or she wears a mask, hood, or device by which any portion of the face is so hidden, concealed, or covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer and is upon any public way or public property or upon the private property of another without the written permission of the owner or occupier of the property to do so. For purposes of this subsection, the phrase ‘upon any public way or property’ includes but is not limited to operating a motor vehicle upon any public street, road, or highway.

Read more: http://evans.allongeorgia.com/georgia-lawmakers-abandon-bill-that-would-have-outlawed-muslim-veils/