World News for Students of English

19-03-2021 07:00

Sri Lanka will ban the wearing of burqas, and the country will shut down more than a thousand Islamic schools.

Children from the ages of 5 to 16 years must study in accordance with the national education policy; therefore, schools that do not adhere to it will be closed soon.

It’s the latest move from the government that will affect the country’s minority Muslim population. According to the Secretary Minister for Security, wearing burqas affected national security directly. Muslim women and girls never used to wear burqas; however, recently they came about, which the government considered to be a sign of religious extremism.

The move on burqas and schools follows last year’s order to cremate COVID-19 victims against the wishes of Muslims who bury their dead. The ban was lifted earlier this year after criticism from the US and international rights groups.

Difficult words: burqa (a piece of clothing that covers the face and body, and it is worn in public by some Muslim women), adhere (to believe in and follow the practices of something), cremate (to burn a dead person’s body, usually as part of a funeral).

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