AMSTERDAM — The Dutch government agreed on Friday a total ban on the wearing of burqas and other Muslim face veils in public, justifying the move on security grounds. Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk will now draw up legislation which will result in the Netherlands, once one of Europe’s most easy-going nations, imposing some of the continent’s toughest laws against concealing the face. ‘The cabinet finds it undesirable that garments covering the face — including the burqa — should be worn in public in view of public order, (and) the security and protection of fellow citizens,’ the Dutch Justice Ministry said in a statement. The video game industry’s own clash of the titans reboots this week with the midnight launch of Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Sunday’s debut of Nintendo’s Wii. Full coverage The debate on face veils and whether they stymie Muslim integration has gathered momentum across Europe. The Netherlands would be the first European state to impose a countrywide ban on Islamic face coverings, though other countries have already outlawed them in specific places. The move by the center-right government comes just five days before a general election. The campaign has focused so far […]