MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - Italian lawmakers are set to consider a ban on the public wearing of Islamic burqas - clothing covering the entire face and body - by women, local media said.
Members of Italy's second-largest Northern League party have drafted a bill amending the 1975 law that prohibits people from wearing clothing that makes their identification impossible.
Italian parliamentarians aim to extend the ban to garments "worn for reasons of religious affiliation."
Roberto Cota of the Northern League has dismissed accusations that the lawmakers' proposal is "racist", and urged for the law to be made "equal for everyone."
Opposition parliamentarians have denounced the proposal as "unconstitutional" saying it infringes on religious freedom.
Italy, which has over a million Muslims, has become the second European nation to consider such a ban, after France announced earlier this month that it was also considering banning burqas.
In Egypt, parliament has rejected a request from two opposition lawmakers to seek the dismissal of the country's top Islamic cleric over his planned ban on women's veils at a top university, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.
