A Muslim woman is forced to remove a hyjab from her face, Austria issues new law (Photo)

The woman in the picture was wearing a niqab covering most of her face except for her eyes in the town of Zell Am See on Sunday.

However, it was not long before she was contacted by the armed police who ordered her to remove.

The articles covering the face have been banned in public places, with several exceptions -- namely, “cultural events” -- or for doctors who need to wear medical masks during procedures. Anyone breaking the law can now be hit with a fine of 150 euros.

Announcing the ban, officials in Vienna claimed it would encourage acceptance and respect.

The adoption and respect of Austrian values are fundamental conditions for a successful co-existence between the Austrian majority population and people from third countries living in Austria”, they said.

They also fear that laws urging Muslim communities not to wear niqab could lead to the rise of Islamophobia and hate crimes.

Migrants will now be forced to sign an Integration Trust and will be required to receive mandatory German-language courses and Austrian values.

Austria is not the first European country to implement live bans. France became the first to pass the controversial ban in April 2011 and has since arrested about 1,500 people under the law./Periscopi/