BERLIN/PARIS -- Proposals to ban body-concealing garments worn by Muslim women have sparked fierce debate in Europe, with some seeing the measures as a strategy to capture conservative votes in upcoming elections amid a tense atmosphere fueled by terrorist attacks and a refugee crisis.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union floated the idea of a ban on burqas, which cover the entire body, at a meeting this month. The proposal targets both the burqa and the niqab, which leaves the eyes visible, public service broadcaster ARD reported.
