Via VG Nett (Norwegian):
The picture above appeared on the cover of a new guide published by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The image 'here comes the future', is meant to show how the new roads are coming along well.
Contacted by VG Nett, spokesperson Sissel Faller first said "I'm sorry, but what is a niqab?" Later they answered by mail that the picture will be removed immediately. It was later replaced with a picture of a parking place.
"We do not think that women in a niqab represent 'the New Norway'. After the fact we see that we lack knowledge about this dress. We apologize that we weren't aware of the effect of using this dress as an illustration. We didn't think of the signal effect it could give."
Q: Does the woman in the picture usually wear a niqab?
A: No, she only wore it for this picture.
Spokesperson Kjell-Bjørn Vinje says that he's gotten responses from people in the field, and that they've considered removing the image before VG Nett contacted them.
Q: Who are the people in the picture?
A: I don't know. I suppose that they're employees in the Public Roads Administration and their children.
Per-Willy Amundsen of the Progress Party says that this is a clear example of Islamization - in this case the Islamization of the Public Roads Administration, and that it's unacceptable that a national body will contribute to making the niqab an accepted piece of clothing in Norway.
