Georgia Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Restrict Wearing of Muslim Burqa

A new bill introduced Tuesday in Georgia’s legislature would prohibit women from wearing a burqa and veil when posing for driver's license photos and include female Muslim garb in the statewide anti-masking statute—originally aimed at Ku Klux Klan members. House Bill 3 was authored by Republican State Rep. Jason Spencer, who stated that his law would target only women who were driving on public roads, yet could be expanded to apply to any kind of public property. The legislation would amend the state's existing anti-masking bill to include the statement: "For the purposes of this subsection, the phrase 'upon any public way or property' includes but is not limited to operating a motor vehicle upon any public street, road, or highway." The bill was proposed as part of a prelude to the 2017 session of the State Legislature and appears to reflect some of the Islamophobic beliefs widely propagated by President-elect Donald Trump during his campaign.