Portugal’s Executive Director of Amnesty International, João Godinho Martins, criticized the face-covering ban as “a direct threat to [women’s] freedom of expression and freedom of religion.” (narvikk – stock photo / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short August 21, 2026 at 6:02pm
The Portuguese are realizing that Islam has no place in Europe, much to the chagrin of some vocal residents.
President António José Seguro signed a bill into law banning face coverings in public, dubbed the “burka law.” U.K.-based outlet GB News says the policy was adopted in Lisbon in July with a right-wing coalition in the government favoring it.
Under the new law, wearing clothing meant to hide or obstruct one’s face in public is punishable by fines ranging from 150 Euros up to 3,000 Euros. Forcing someone to cover their face could carry a prison sentence of up to three years.
Exceptions exist for professional, health, artistic, advertising, or entertainment reasons.
The ban also does not apply to aircraft, diplomatic, or consular visits — meaning Islamic countries with officials visiting Portugal will not have to comply — and it does not extend to places of worship, such as mosques, or holy sites.
Executive Director of Amnesty International in Portugal, João Godinho Martins, criticized the law as “a threat to human rights.
“Despite having removed direct references to Islam, which were a part of previous versions of the text, this new law clearly violates the human rights of Muslim women who choose to cover their faces. It is a direct threat to their freedom of expression and freedom of religion.
Would you support face covering bans in the U.S.?
“No one should dictate what a woman may or may not wear, and no woman should be penalized for practising her faith, cultural identity or beliefs.
“Far from promoting women’s rights as claimed, this blanket ban is likely to have the opposite effect. Women who choose to wear full-face veils may face greater exclusion from public life, social isolation or increased difficulties in accessing education, employment and public services.”
Those comments certainly create a strange amalgamation — Islam and women’s rights.
Veiling in Islam is not a choice for women; it is compulsory. Quran 33:59 reads, “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks [veils] all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known so as not to be annoyed.”
The Islam-critical website The Religion of Peace explains the word annoyed is “yu’dhayna,” the meaning being more accurately “hurt” or “harmed” in the same chapter of the Quran. If a woman does not want harm to come to her, she should cover herself.
The U.K.-based outlet Express reports that 24 other countries have banned the burka, including European ones like the Netherlands, Norway, France, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Belgium.
Do we need similar laws like this in the United States?
It would be a step forward in addressing the larger issue of a growing Islamic population.
Americans incorrectly believe Muslims come to assimilate and share our values. Not so — their allegiance is to the Quran and their prophet.
They have no intention of “becoming American,” but wish to insulate themselves within their own communities, ignoring our cultural norms, expectations, and laws.
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Sam Short is an Assistant Professor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
