Congo-Brazzaville, has experienced no threat of Islamic jihad but the government has decided to fight it nonetheless, starting with prohibiting Muslim women from wearing full veils in public places.

The regulation aims to prevent terrorism and insecurity, according to the interior ministry. Women can still wear their full veil at home or at mosques.

Some Muslims condemn this “extreme” decision because few women actually wear full veils. Besides, 80 percent of Congolese are Christians. There are only about 800,000 Muslims in the country — 5 percent of the population — and most of them come from west African nations.

Therefore, many believe the ban is part of a broader operation to fight illegal immigration.