Cordoba City Council has banned burkas and all face coverings from municipal buildings, with the measure passing thanks to votes from the PP and Vox.
The proposal called on the city government to prohibit entry or presence in council facilities for anyone wearing clothing, accessories or other items that conceal the face in a way that makes identification impossible or difficult.
Similar bans have recently been introduced in Granada city, and Alhaurin el Grande and Rincon de la Victoria in Malaga province.
The motion specifically mentions garments such as the niqab, burka or other similar coverings as examples.
Originally presented by Vox and later modified by the PP, the proposal has been justified by both parties as a measure aimed at guaranteeing security in public buildings.
Vox spokesperson Paula Badanelli said the initiative was not intended to target religion.
‘We could talk about the problems of Islamisation,’ she said, ‘but the motion is not about that.’
Badanelli explained that she had recently witnessed a situation in a bank where a woman whose face was completely covered was refused entry because security cameras needed to record her face.
Cordoba’s security councillor, Jesus Coca from the PP, insisted the measure was purely about safety and not religion.
‘This is a matter of security,’ he said. ‘No one should be able to enter a municipal building with their face covered.’
He compared the rule to the fact that someone would also not be allowed to enter wearing a motorcycle helmet.
Opposition parties PSOE and Hacemos Cordoba rejected that explanation and criticised the motion.
Socialist councillor Alicia Moya accused Vox of presenting the proposal ‘to spread its hatred towards everything related to Islam’ and questioned whether the city council even has the authority to implement such restrictions.
Meanwhile, Irene Ruiz from Hacemos Cordoba said the security argument was misleading, pointing out that such situations ‘do not even occur in our city’.
She argued that the measure effectively singles out ‘a very specific minority of women’ and accused the PP of ‘whitewashing’ the original proposal from Vox.
Before the debate, Isabel Romero, president of the Islamic Board in Spain, also addressed councillors.
Romero said the use of the niqab is ‘extremely rare’, particularly in Cordoba, where she said she knows of only one Muslim woman who wears it.
She warned that the proposal risks sending the wrong message in a city that will become the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue in 2027, adding that Cordoba should instead defend coexistence and freedom.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
