Security forces in Kismayo, a southern city in Somalia, have seized hundreds of Islamic face veils from female residents, according to the city’s police chief, Warsame Ahmed Gelle.
Speaking on state TV, Gelle explained that authorities have been conducting operations to “fight” the veils, also known as niqabs, due to concerns that jihadists could use them to conceal their identities and carry out attacks.
Large parts of southern and central Somalia are controlled by al-Shabab, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda that has waged a brutal insurgency against the UN-backed government for nearly 20 years. Recently, dozens were killed in an attack at a popular beachfront location in Mogadishu, the capital.
In Kismayo, police have been stopping women on the streets and forcing them to remove their niqabs since the operation began last Wednesday. Women caught wearing the niqab, which covers the entire face except for the eyes, face jail or a fine.
Kismayo and its surrounding areas in the state of Jubaland are the only places where authorities can enforce the ban, due to al-Shabab’s control over much of southern Somalia. The state initially introduced the niqab ban in 2013, citing security risks, but it was rarely enforced.
Niqabs are considered a sign of modesty in Islam, a religion practiced by 99% of Somalia’s population according to government statistics. While many women in Somalia wear the niqab, most still opt for the hijab, which covers a woman’s hair but not her face. Gelle noted that the niqab had increased in popularity recently.
The police reported that at least 37 people were killed in Friday’s beachfront attack, with several more wounded. Al-Shabab, which claimed responsibility for the attack, stated that the death toll and injuries were much higher than the figures released by the police.
The Somali military recently killed dozens of jihadist fighters in Jubaland, raising the possibility of reprisal attacks by al-Shabab.
