BURKA BOMBSHELL: Muslim country to ban the veil 'because it is NOT Islamic'
EGYPTIAN lawmakers have argued that full face veils are actually un-Islamic and even go against what the Koran advocates.
Lawmakers have argued that full face veils are actually un-Islamic
Days after Ukip reignited calls for a ban on the burka in Britain, Egypt has now moved closer to banning the veil.
The full-face veil has long been associated with followers of Islam and typically covers all of the wearer’s face other than their eyes.
Egypt, a predominately Muslim country, has placed several restrictions in recent years on wearing the niqab following a sharp rise in those wearing the full veil in the last decade.
The ban would apply in public places and government buildings.
In January this year a court upheld the university’s ban
Leading politicians argued the full-face veil is neither an Islamic tradition, nor required in the Koran.
Member of Parliament Amna Nosseir, also a member of Egypt's Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, revealed the niqab is instead a Jewish tradition.
She insisted "the niqab is not an Islamic duty" and instead was "a part of Judaism".
Concerns over security have followed a rise in militant attacks from Islamic extremists
Wearing the niqab in public has raised concerns in the Egyptian streets
She has argued that it is a tradition which appeared in the Arabian Peninsula prior to Islam and that a variety of Koran passages contradict its use.
Dr Nosseir added that while the Koran calls for modest clothing and for women to cover their hair, the holy book does not ask for women to cover their faces.
She said: “We seek to spread moderate Islam. Wearing the niqab in public has raised concerns in the Egyptian streets in view of the hard circumstances the country is undergoing.”
The ban would apply in public places and government buildings
Egypt, a predominately Muslim country, has placed several restrictions on wearing the niqab
Parliamentarians in the Egypt Support Coalition, loyal to President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, said the push for a ban is also based on religious and security grounds.
Concerns over security have followed a rise in militant attacks from Islamic extremists in recent months.
Alaa Abdul Moneim, a spokesman for the Egypt Support Coalition, defended the alliance’s anti-niqab move.
He said: "We are seeking to prohibit the appearance of masked faces in public."
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The latest legislation follows a ban at Egypt's premier public university, Cairo University on academic staff from wearing the niqab in classrooms in response to complaints it was too difficult to communicate with students.
In January this year a court upheld the university’s ban.
The University also banned nurses and doctors from wearing it in medical schools and in teaching hospitals, arguing the ban would “protect patients’ rights and interests.”
During the national election in October last year, women wearing niqab were told they needed to remove the full veil if they wished to vote, in order to be identified.