Abstract

A large percentage of European citizens consider the burqa a symbol of Islamic fundamentalism and women discrimination. This paper focuses on Spanish Law, where some Council have banned the burqa - or they are in the process of doing so - in public buildings as an item of clothing against security and Spanish values. Is it a legitimate measure in democratic and pluralistic societies? The paper tries to answer this question taking into account the resolutions of international organizations of hu- man rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. An introduction analyzes sociological and legal data about Islamic com- munities in Spain.