Muslim women face £6,500 fines

Two thirds of citizens backed the ban in a referendum – triggered after campaigners collected enough signatures under the country's "direct democracy" rules.

Activists claimed the ban was necessary to stop Islamic fundamentalists developing a separate, PARALLEL SOCIETY within the country.

The ban – which comes as fear of home-grown Islamic terrorists sweeps across Europe – makes it a CRIMINAL OFFENCE for women in the Italian-speaking region in southern Switzerland to cover their faces in ALL public places – including shops, restaurants, public buildings and behind the wheel of a car.

The law will apply to tourists – 40,000 of whom came from the Middle East last year – as well as citizens.

Visitors will be told it is UNLAWFUL to hide your face in Ticino at the border.

Switzerland – which has already banned the construction of new towers on mosques – is the fourth European country to impose a ban – after France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Giorgio Ghiringhelli – who drew up the proposals – said the referendum vote was a message to Islamists trying to impose SHARIA LAW in Switzerland.

He said: "Those who want to integrate are welcome irrespective of their religion.

"But those who rebuff our values and aim to build a parallel society based on religious laws – and want to place it over our society – are not welcome.”

There are around 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland – about 0.5% of the population.

(dailystar.co.uk)