In a move appaluded by all those seeking an end to religious inlfuence in society the Dutch goverment has started the process of banning the burkha from all public places in the Netherlands. This follows on from similar rulings in Belgium.

France enacted laws late last year to prevent religious symbology in schools and despite early objection from fundamentalist groups this has now become universal.

Margret De Cuyper of the Den Haag womens forum hailed it as a victory for a secular Dutch society and for womens liberation from male formulated clothes of control, she said,

"Women have lived for too long with clothes and standards decided for them by men, this is a victory"