Austrian cops force women to uncover their faces as country's 'burka ban' takes effect

As a ban on full-face veils came into force in Austria, a Muslim woman has been forced to remove her veil in the Alpine country. The woman was spotted being told to take her veil off in Zell am See town on Sunday. In a ruling announcing the ban, officials in Vienna said that acceptance and respect of Austrian values are basic conditions for successful cohabitation between the majority Austrian population and people from third countries living in Austria, reports the Daily Mail. Items concealing the face in public places, such as veils, medical masks and scarves, have been outlawed in Austria. People will, however, be able to wear them in public only under certain conditions, such as "at cultural events." The officials said that the law is aimed at “ensuring the cohesion of society in an open society” and anyone violating it could face a fine of €150. Brought in by the outgoing centrist government of Chancellor Christian Kern, the legislation, similar to those in other European Union countries, also applies to visitors even though large numbers of Arab tourists holiday in the country.