Amidst the growing anti-Muslim sentiment in Western countries, Swiss far-right politician, MP Walter Wobmann, is throwing fuel onto the fire, his recent outburst stated that the hijab should be banned from passport pictures.
Walter Wobmann, the man who led the 2009 charge for the banning of minarets in Switzerland is a member of the right-wing, Swiss People's Party, the largest political party in the country. Walter has now launched a new campaign and has focused his vision on the hijab appearing in passport photos.
In the interview with Swiss newspaper Blick, he said, "It is unacceptable that you can wear a hijab in a photo but not a cap," he went on to state, "This is not a question of religious freedom, but of equal treatment."
Current rulings restrict people from wearing headscarves in their passport photos but exceptions are made for religious headwear. The Swiss passport office made a statement regarding the current rules, "Headcoverings are in principle unacceptable - exceptions are only made for medical or religious reasons".