Chinese authorities have banned women from wearing the burqa in Xinjiang's Urumqi, a regional capital with a large Muslim population. According to The Independent, the ban on the burqa was "considered and approved" by the Urumqi parliament's Standing Committee in December.

According to The Telegraph, Xinhua -China's official news agency - stated, "Burqas are not traditional dress for Uyghur women, and wearing them in public places is banned in countries such as Belgium and France." In fact, The Daily Mail reports that China has previously launched drives to discourage women from covering their faces, and security officials often log details of those wearing burqas.

 CNN reports that the ban comes along with a campaign against what authorities call religious extremism.  Supposedly, there have been many recent violent incidents in Xinjiang, which is a resource-rich region long inhabited by the Turkic-speaking, largely Muslim Uyghurs.

This past July, Xinjiang witnessed its bloodiest incident since 2009 when 37 civilians and 59 "terrorists" were killed in an attack on a police station and government offices in Shache county, also known as Yarkand.

Roughly 45% of Xinjiang's population is Muslim, and the Chinese government blames the violent incidents on Islamist militants or separatists. However, the Uyghur minority claims that the government's repressive policies and controls on Islam are to blame for provoking states of unrest.

The government denies this accusation, but there is evidence that the Uyghur population is discriminated against. According to CNN, Amnesty International has said that Uyghurs face widespread discrimination in employment, housing, and educational opportunities, as well as curtailed religious freedom and political marginalization.

Nevertheless, China argues that it has boosted economic development in Xinjiang, and that it upholds minority and religious rights in a country with 56 recognized ethnic groups.

What do you think of the burqa ban?