Geneva: A Swiss politician has said that women should not be allowed to wear hijab in their passport photographs.
According to a report in the Independent, Walter Wobmann, a member of the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party, said that hijab-clad women should be asked to remove headscarves during passport photograph procedure.
Wobmann argued that it is unfair with others as people are often banned from wearing caps or headbands, where as hijab-clad women are excused.
He claimed that the policy was an act of 'unequal treatement'. "It is unacceptable that you can wear a hijab in a photo but not a cap. This is not a question of religious freedom but of equal treatment," said Wobmann.
He also said that the official guidelines for passport and driving license in the country allow Muslim women to wear hijab for reasons of faith - as long as it is identifiable.
The rule states, "Headcoverings are in principle unacceptable - exceptions are only made for medical or religious reasons. In those cases the face must be visible and there should not be shadows on the face."
Wobmann has also actively campaigned against burqa and minarets in Switzerland.
