Citing security concerns.

Morocco bans burqa over security concerns
Shopkeepers must get rid of their stock of Islamic veils within 48 hours

Morocco has banned burqas from being made or sold because of security concerns, the country's media has reported.

Although the government did not issue a formal announcement of the move, reports have emerged of burqa producers and retailers being issued written warnings telling them to stop making and selling the garments.

The ban is understood to apply only to full-face covering burqas. The majority of Muslim women in the country wear headscarves without the veil, or niqab.

It seems to suggest that just the sale is banned, not the wearing of it yet. But to be honest, I've only ever seen one or two women wearing it since I've been here. I've seen more than that in England.

As happy as I am to see the governments of Muslim-majority countries take steps against extreme Islamism, how effective is this going to be? Couldn't anyone who wants a burka just make one themselves? Also hardly anyone outside of the Pashtun region* of southern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan actually wears the burka, banning the burka and ignoring the Arab niqab seems like a weird initiative for the Moroccan government to take.

*The distribution of Pashto-speakers here in red among other languages of the Iranian family.

The Burka is not 'uncommon' in Birmingham UK, not to say its 'common' but you would be hard pressed not see it say half a dozen times each day if you wandered through the city centre.

I've been to Morocco as well and never saw one while I was there

mrjonno wrote:The Burka is not 'uncommon' in Birmingham UK, not to say its 'common' but you would be hard pressed not see it say half a dozen times each day if you wandered through the city centre.

That's strange. Here in Islamabad I hardly see any burqas, although then again I go out when most people are at home or at work (things only start to heat up in the early evening). Even so, when I'm in shopping centres (where the gender ratio is more normal, unlike on the street where it's extremely skewed towards men) in the evening I see probably more uncovered women than even hijabs (although those who wear the dupatta, a thin cloth which doesn't completely cover the hair, are the majority). But shopping centres here are for posh people, so that may have something to do with it too.

Pretty sure the burqa in the UK is as much about political views (usually of the men) rather than religion. Presumably in the tribal areas of Pakistan the burqa is a lot more common probably at gun point but in Islamabad where most people are Muslims there isn't really a identity reason to wear it