Egypt: Al-Azhar University To Ban Face Veil In Women's Classes, Dorms (VIDEO)

Egypt's Al-Azhar university said Thursday it would ban the niqab or face veil from female classrooms and dormitories, according to AFP.

"The Supreme Council of Al-Azhar has decided to ban students and teachers from wearing the niqab inside female-only classrooms, that are taught by women only," a statement from the university said.

The supreme council's statement added that Al-Azhar does not oppose the niqab, which it said only a minority of Muslim scholars consider an obligation, but it opposes "imprinting it on the minds of girls."

The decision came after female students who wear the niqab were banned from the women's dormitory of the state-run Cairo University.

The niqab is associated with Salifism, an ultra-orthodox sect mostly practiced in Saudi Arabia. AFP reports that a Salafi group from the Palestinian territories called on Egyptians to "strike with an iron hand all the agents and traitors" responsible for the ban.

Watch this Al Jazeera English video on the controversy surrounding banning the niqab.

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Comments

[Chago1964]

Sharia law degrades women into 2nd class status. There is more that is hidden when a woman has to wear a veil in public; sexual aggression, sexual repression, sexual exploitation, economic exploitation and enforced infantalization of grown women.
*sexual aggression - women who don't follow the norm are subject to rape (for not wearing habibs or going out in public without a male chaperon), are subject to acid attacks for not complying with male demands
*sexual repression - can not date or flirt, are subject to arranged marriages, are subject to "honor" killings from male relatives for flaunting any aspect of sharia law that brings dishonor on the family name
*sexual exploitation - sharia law allows prepubescent girls to be married off to older men, allows up to 4 wives (for men only)
*economic exploitation - women are under men for economic support or relegated to traditional women-only duties and can not be major source of support (only the elite's daughters are exempt).
*infantalization - discourages girls from getting an education or learning a productive trade, that leaves women without the means to improve or support themselves in a modern world (only the elite's daughters are exempt).

[MosheDayanHero]

Organization of Islamic Conference . 57 member-countries. Total population 1.5 billion people. Number of universities-- approx 500.

India--- population: 1.1 billion. Number of universities--- 8,407.

Reasons?

[RaWash]

1.5B is the total population of Muslims worldwide, not Muslim majority countries, India is the third largest Muslim country in the world (population-wise), Egypt has 60+ universities, which is approximately the same ratio as India (1:130000)­..NEXT!

[RaWash]

more facts:
* Muslims invented the concept of degree granting universities
* Three of the oldest universities in the world are in the Muslim world, in Morocco (1st), Egypt (2nd) and Iran (3rd)
* Iran alone has 250+ universities (ratio: 1:296000)

[Ping]

This is Sherine Abdel Wahab - Ana Fil Gharam LIVE @ Mawazine Festival 2009
She is an Egyptian singer she is beautiful she is in Morocco and she has nothing on her head.

And the people who are just spouting B.S. about Islam and customs. You can do that to others but I know there is no requirement for women to cover anything in Islam and here is the proof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCVR9Z1q7aM

[RaWash]

wow, congratulations on the great find! well, not really, the fact is, not a SINGLE Egyptian/S­yrian/Leba­nese/Moroc­can/Tunisi­an/Jordani­an entertainer wears a Hijab, majority don't even adhere to the most basic Islamic dress code (which is hiding the cleavage), so, get a load of this:

Haifa Wehbe: http://images.google.com/images?q=Haifa%20Wehbe (she's a Lebanese Shiite)

Dina: http://images.google.com/images?q=Dina+egyptian+belly+dancer (she's a Egyptian Sunni)

more? http://www.arabiccelebrities.com/

[Ping]

Many nights of smoking shisha and watching videos. I already know ....they are gorgeous.

So......Ar­e you going to tell me they are not Muslim?

[Horst]

I never understood the attraction of following the prophecies of illiterate desert nomads. Why don't these women keep their niqabs and go back to their tents? I suspect they'd be a lot happier.

[Ayrshirelass]

And quite rightly too. How else does any lecturer or professor know who they're actually teaching or who are really taking the examinations they set if there's no way of discerning this with faces so absurdly covered up.

This sort of backwardness has no place in academia; in the desert maybe but not in a progressive world of male and female equality.

[NewYorkStateofMind]

a very small step in the right direction

[riff4u]

This will of course cause the same backlash as in France. When you ban something the outrage against a government, any government, will simply inspire more women.....­. probably young observant Muslims who normally wear only a head scarf and jeans, to put on a full face concealing hijab out of defiance. Governments need to get out of the business of dress codes. In Cairo you will see women wearing many fashions and styles. The burqa will die a natural death if people, and especially governments, would leave it alone. Why do they want to revive it.

[RaWash]

"The burqa will die a natural death if people, and especially governments, would leave it alone."

No, it won't, the burqa (or rather the ideology behind it) is well funded by Saudi money (it's not called petro-Islam for nothing), left alone it will only grow to a point where it becomes the 'norm' (which is really the goal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahhabi#International_influence). it happened in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Kuwait, Sudan, Algeria, and even some Muslim communities in Western countries. Egypt should be applauded for trying to root it out early.

[riff4u]

You are completely wrong. It is not even Islamic. Let it alone it will die. Ban it and it will grow out of resentment of the government. It only takes a little common sense. Forget all the nonsense conspiracy theories.

[AngelaQuattrano]

They have banned it when only women are present. It's about being modest in public and around men who are not relatives, right? So why can't they remove their veils? Or has it become a competitive display?

[MarcusT]

It's become a political statement.

[abdallac]

I'm an Egyptian woman and they are right to ban the niqab in single sex classrooms. I mean what would be the point?

[MosheDayanHero]

The point is subjugation of women.

[abdallac]

I happily spit on Moshe Dayan Blvd in NYC whenever I am there. You subjugate an entire nation. Shut up.

[riff4u]

The real MD was part of an administration whose leaders spewed "the only good Arab is a dead Arab." Such a nice caring man. I bet he was extremely concerned about the rights of Arab women.

[riff4u]

MD your point is not subjugation of women at all. At least say your postings are to dehumanize Muslims and denigrate all things you perceive as Islamic. How about a little TRUTH. Take that to the bank.

[Thabit]

I would happily leave something smellier on MosheDyan Blvd if i just knew where it was in NYC

[Horst]

Egypt's problems have little to do with niqabs but rather with overpopulation and endemic corruption. Not much will change if thugs like Mubarak remain in power.

[abdallac]

You hit it, Horst. I get so SO SOOOO angry whenever I visit Egypt, at the ruins it has become due to corruption, all that money in aid and tourism never get to the people or to truly maintain the county. It was so clean and beautiful only 2 generations ago.

The overpopulation ---- well, they really need to approach efforts on birth control. It is completely allowable Islamically - and they need to utilize it.

[alumcreek]

In a week when an Israeli woman wins a Nobel prize and Hamas forbids women from riding on the backs of motorcycles while Egypt demands that women uncover their faces in class or the dorms, we take note of human values.

As societal priorities become more apparent, the value of women as slaves and property in the Islamic world becomes more transparent. Any society that keeps back the smarter half of its population takes three steps back for every one forward.

Has Islam accomplished much of note since the 13th century? When will it end its dark age?

[RaWash]

you think banning niqabs is a "step back"? hmm..

[MarcusT]

This is an Islamic issue like DC and Bush were a christian issue.

[mergina]

it is a start and so long overdue.

[futate01]

Finally some common sense in the Middle East. Thank you Egypt.

[susankhbelen]

I'd like to ban the burqua in the USA---JUST like we ban public nudity. It is offensive.

[MosheDayanHero]

It seems some in the middle of the Islamic civilization also agree. Alas in a limited fashion.

[Thabit]

While we're at it why not ban the confederate flag and the wearing of camoflage in public as well, just as offensive . And stinky baseball hats but then we would know the whole "South" is bald

[MosheDayanHero]

We''l stick with bann.ing bl.ack bagging of women for now. LOL.

[susankhbelen]

Those items just let me know who to avoid.
just kidding...­.sorta

[truthartbeauty]

looks like Halloween all year long over there.

[jonathanu]

This bothers me. I have to ask, what right does the university have to infringe on civil liberties in this way? This seems designed to marginalize these devout women, who wear the niqab for reasons of modesty.

I understand why secular people find the niqab depersonalizing and even creepy. But the threat to society comes, not from the veil, but from resentments caused by oppression. France, Italy, and now Egypt need to stop doing this...

[Mollabaji]

johathanu,

These women and their menfolks who force them(or brainwash them) to wear the Niqab are fanatics who go against the teachings of Islam. Quran ONLY instructrs Muslim MEN and women to dress modestly. By whose definiion is the niqab a "modest" dress? Why are the men dressed in Western clothes like shirts, slacks and jackets? They should also wear long shirts and cover their fac es.
Interesting thing here is that it is the Al-azhar university which is the Religious, Mosque university in Cairo that has issued this order. Notice that the ban is for women there BECAUSE all students and faculty are WOMEN. SO, it really is not a ban against the niqab as the headline claims.

[blutigeroo]

I agree with you on some of your points but:
First of all, the majority of Muslim women wear it by choice. I know this because of my experiences in Muslim countries, in Western countries etc. What is this idea that all Muslim men are, by default, abusive?
Second of all, even though Muslim men may dress western, they also abide by a dress code. Also, there are many Muslim women who wear western clothes (but nothing skanky--thereby stil abiding by their religious dress code).

[MED1025]

There is no reason to wear the thing in a single gender class. That's what Egypt banned.

[Alarmist]

Covering your face is not the only way to be modest. To be completely covered head to toe, but showing your face, is just as modest.

[MikeHermit]

Ban the wearing in female only classes taught by females. Don't get wild and crazy on us now.

[RaWash]

this is only the case in Al-Azhar (a religious school), secular schools are banning it completely.