Photos: Some Danish Muslims to defy the law as Denmark bans face veil

As the Danish parliament bans the wearing of face veils in public, joining France and some other European countries to uphold what some politicians say are secular and democratic values, some Danish Muslims will be joined by non niqab wearing Muslim women and also non-Muslim Danes to protest and raise awareness about why women should be allowed to express their identity in this way. A look at what the burqa means to these Danish women and how they look to defy the law to hold on to their rights being taken away from the social sphere.

Updated on: Aug 01, 2018 9:26 AM IST

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Swimmers watch on as Anna-Bella, 26, who was born in Peru and converted to Islam at age 20, walks along the seafront in Copenhagen, Denmark. In May, the Danish parliament banned the wearing of face veils in public, joining France and some other European countries to uphold what some politicians say are secular and democratic values. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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As face veils are banned in Denmark from Wednesday, Sabina, 21, who is studying to be a teacher, has joined other Muslim women to form Kvinder I Dialog (Women In Dialogue) to protest and raise awareness about why women should be allowed to express their identity. “I won’t take my niqab off. If I must take it off I want to do it because it is a reflection of my own choice,” Sabina said. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Sarah, 30, poses for a portrait. She stands at the spot, where she said, a man screamed anti-Islamic obscenities at her while almost forcing her onto the train tracks as she cradled her then two-week-old baby. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Florina, 23, and Mizgan (R), 24, arrive for a meeting at Folkets Hus, which translates as People's House for a workshop to prepare for a protest against the face veil ban. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Mizgan, 24, advises attendees on how to prepare a face veil during a workshop. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Members of the activist group Party Rebels, paste posters alerting people to an organised protest. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Ayah (R), 37, lays with her daughter at her friend's apartment .“I feel this law legitimises acts of hatred but, on the other hand, I feel people have become more aware of what is going on. I get more smiles on the street and people are asking me more questions,” said Ayah. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Mona, 55, tests a mask at a workshop during preparation for a protest.Under the law, police will be able to instruct women to remove their veils or order them to leave public areas. Justice Minister Soren Pape Poulsen said officers would fine them and tell them to go home. Fines will range from 1,000 Danish crowns ($160) for a first offence to 10,000 crowns for a fourth violation. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Natacha (L), 21, and Nayab, 18, both members of the group Kvinder I Dialog stand together on a playground. The niqab wearers who plan to protest will also be joined by non niqab wearing Muslim women and also non-Muslim Danes, most of whom plan to wear face coverings at the rally. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Mathias Vidas Olsen, 29, a viking-age replica jewellery maker, demonstrates the preparation of bracelets he designed with a phrase that translates to “I will go with the burqa, will you?” in Copenhagen. “I’m not for or against the niqab,” Olsen said. “I’m for the right of the people to wear whatever they want whether they be a Muslim or a punk,” he added. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

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Like Sabina, Meryem, 20, plans to defy the law, keep her niqab on and protest against the ban. “I believe that you have to integrate yourself in society, that you should get an education and so forth. But I don’t think wearing a niqab means you can’t engage yourself in Danish values,” said Meryem, a student of molecular medicine at Aarhus University. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)