Sri Lanka Minister for public security, Sarath Weerasekera has told the media that Sri Lanka will ban the wearing of the burqa and close down thousand Islamic schools.

Speaking at a press conference, Sarath has stated that he had signed a paper on Friday for cabinet approval to ban the full-face covering worn by some Muslim women. He also added that the paper was proposed was referred to on considerations towards national security grounds.

“In our early days Muslim women and girls never wore the burqa, It is a sign of religious extremism that came about recently. We are definitely going to ban it,” said Weerasekera.

Similarly, in 2019, wearing the burqa in the majority-Buddhist nation was temporarily banned after the bombing of churches and hotels by Islamic militants that killed more than 250.

Speaking about the school's closure, Weerasekera said the government plans to ban more than a thousand Islamic schools that were flouting national education policy.

“Nobody can open a school and teach whatever you want to the children,” he said.

With the news, local and international human rights activists have raised concerns over islamophobia acts raising heavily in Sri Lanka.