Angela Merkel’s promise to ban the niqab is a mistake

ANGELA MERKEL, Germany’s chancellor, is often seen as the West’s last best defender of the liberal order against a tide of populism. She is likely to win re-election next autumn, but faces a challenge from the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany. So Mrs Merkel needs to buck up her own party, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, which is disillusioned with the “welcome culture” for refugees that she has promoted. Speaking to party delegates on December 6th, Mrs Merkel promised that the events of 2015, when 890,000 refugees claimed asylum in Germany, “can, shall and must not be repeated”. She vaunted her government’s European values of sexual equality and religious tolerance. And, in a line that drew long applause, she added that “the full veil is not appropriate for us, and should be banned wherever legally possible.”There is a contradiction in Mrs Merkel’s embrace of liberal values and her vow to ban the full veil, known variously as the niqab or burqa. Wearing it is regarded by some Muslims as a religious duty for women when in public. A ban infringes the freedom of religion. It is also unenforceable, polarising and serves to pander to populists.