Denmark has joined some other European countries in banning garments that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
A 28-year-old woman became the first person in Denmark to be fined under a new law which prohibits wearing garments that cover the face in public after an incident at a shopping center on Friday.
Danish news agency Ritzau reported that police were called to a shopping center in Horsholm, a city of 46,000 located north of Copenhagen, to confront a woman wearing a niqab garment covering her face.
After police were called, they found the woman had been illegally wearing a niqab in public and after she removed it issued a fine of 1,000 Danish kroner, or $156, Sky News reported.
Denmark has joined some other European countries in banning garments that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Denmark's facial covering law went into effect on Wednesday, and brings the country in line with similar laws in France and Belgium that prohibit full-body burqas, as well the niqab — Muslim dress which only shows the eyes. Both are rare in Denmark.
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Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen has previously said that it will be up to police officers to use their "common sense" when they see people violating the law.
The government has contended the law is not aimed at any religion and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.
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The Danish law allows people to cover their face when there is a "recognizable purpose" like cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, such as using motorcycle helmets, according to the Associated Press
Anyone forcing a person to wear garments covering the face by using force or threats can be fined or face up to two years in prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.