In April 2010, Belgium was on the cusp of becoming the first European country to implement a “burqa ban.” Legislation barring the wearing of any clothing disguising a person’s identity in public passed the lower house of parliament and was slated for a Senate vote when the government collapsed, putting the issue on the back burner. According to the BBC, only about 30 women in all of Belgium wore a face veil at the time the legislation passed the lower house, out of a Muslim population of around half a million.
The ban is still stalled because Belgium has not yet formed its government. In February, it set a world record as the nation longest unable to form a government after elections.
