A top German Euro MP has called for a Europe-wide ban on wearing the Islamic full-body veil, or burka, in public.
A woman visiting a post office in Novara, north-western Italy, has been stopped by police for wearing an Islamic veil covering her face.
Silvana Koch-Mehrin, a member of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), said the burka was "a massive attack on women's rights - it is a mobile prison".
A police official told the AFP news agency the woman would have to pay a 500-euro (£430) fine.
Her party is in the German government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU).
It is the first such police action since Novara brought in a by-law in January banning clothing preventing immediate identification in public.
Belgian MPs have voted to ban garments covering the face in public, including the burka and the Islamic niqab.
The city is run by the anti-immigration Northern League.
The ban would be the first such restriction in Europe if backed by Belgium's upper house.
The party is a powerful junior coalition partner in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's national government.
In an article in the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Ms Koch-Mehrin said wearing the burka "openly supports values that we do not share in Europe".
'Not tolerated'
"I want the wearing of all forms of the burka to be banned in Germany too - and throughout Europe."
Novara Mayor Massimo Giordano said the by-law was meant to deter women from covering themselves with the veil in public.
Opposition to ban
"But unfortunately it is apparently not yet clear to everyone that clothes preventing the wearer's identification can be tolerated at home but not in public places, in schools, on buses or in post offices," he said, according to the Italian state news agency Ansa.
CDU politician Wolfgang Bosbach, who heads the German parliament's home affairs committee, disagreed with Ms Koch-Mehrin, saying such a ban was unnecessary, German media reported.
"There are still some people that refuse to understand that our community in Novara does not accept and does not want people going around wearing the burka."
Ms Koch-Mehrin is a vice-president of the European Parliament
He said the by-law was "the only tool at our disposal to stop behaviour that makes the already difficult process of integration even harder".
The head of Germany's Muslim Council, Aiman Mazyek, also opposed a ban, calling the debate on the veil "quite irrational". He warned that it would increase the gulf between Muslims and non-Muslims.
The woman, described as a Tunisian national, was apparently visiting the post office with her husband when she was stopped by police.
Some German states have banned the wearing of Islamic headscarves by teachers in state schools.
When her husband refused to let her be identified by male officers, they called in a female colleague, AFP reported.
The Belgian law would ban any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places like parks and on the street.
Tighter rules
Only around 30 women wear this kind of veil in Belgium, out of a Muslim population of around half a million.
Italy has, since 1975, had a national anti-terrorism law which forbids any mask or clothing that makes it impossible to identify the wearer.
The BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says MPs backed the legislation on the grounds of security, to allow police to identify people.
However, the law permits exceptions for "justified cause", which has often been interpreted by courts as including religious reasons for wearing a veil, Ansa reports.
Those who break the law could face a fine of 15-25 euros (£13-£27) or a seven-day jail sentence.
Several local authorities have introduced tighter regulations, and a Northern League bill currently before parliament would specifically outlaw Islamic face veils.
In France, a draft law that would ban full-face veils is backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy. It has not yet gone before the French government or parliament.
Similar moves have been taking place in other Western European countries.
The French law would impose a 150-euro fine for wearing such a veil, or compulsory attendance on a citizenship course.
A ban on wearing masks and veils in public has passed the Belgian lower house and is set to go before the Senate. It would be the first such national law in Europe if approved.
The penalty for forcing someone to wear the burka or niqab would be heavier - a year in prison and a 15,000-euro fine, the AFP news agency reports.
The French government is pressing for similar legislation, and at the weekend a German member of the European Parliament said a ban should be enforced across the EU.
Fewer than 2,000 women in France wear the burka or niqab, officials say.
Muslim headscarves
The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in a myriad of styles and colours. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.
The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf.
The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through.
The al-amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and an accompanying tube-like scarf.
The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders.
The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear.
The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath.
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Muslim headscarves
The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in a myriad of styles and colours. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.
The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf.
The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through.
The al-amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and an accompanying tube-like scarf.
The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders.
The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear.
The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath.
