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• Egypt's top cleric plans face veil ban in schools

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  Dr. Nilgün Birgören    Premium Member   Group moderator

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  Egypt's top cleric plans face veil ban in schools

  Egypt's top Islamic cleric is planning to ban students wearing the face veil from entering the schools of Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's premier institute of learning, according to a newspaper report.
  
  A security official also said that police have orders to bar girls covered from head to toe from entering Al Azhar's institutions, including middle and high schools, as well as the dormitories of several universities in Cairo.
  
  The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ban was for security reasons.
  
  The moves appear to be part of a government campaign cracking down on increasingly overt manifestations of ultraconservative Islam in Egypt.
  
  While a vast majority of Egyptian women wear the headscarf, only a few wear the niqab, which covers the face and is common in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
  
  Cleric Mohammad Sayyed Tantawi's plans came to light when he told a middle school student in a class he was visiting earlier this week to take off her niqab.
  
  Tantawi was inspecting Al Azhar's schools at the start of the academic year to check on measures in place to stem the spread of swine flu, according to details of the visit published by the independent daily Al Masry Al Youm.
  
  Tantawi angrily told the girl that the niqab "has nothing to do with Islam and is only a custom" and made her take it off.
  
  He then announced he would soon issue an order banning girls from entering Al Azhar schools wearing the niqab.
  
  • 24 Oct 2009, 6:15 pm
  Dr. Nilgün Birgören wrote: > Egypt's top Islamic cleric is planning to ban students wearing the > face veil from entering the schools of Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's > premier institute of learning, according to a newspaper report. > > A security official also said that police have orders to bar girls > covered from head to toe from entering Al Azhar's institutions, > including middle and high schools, as well as the dormitories of > several universities in Cairo. > > The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ban was > for security reasons. > > The moves appear to be part of a government campaign cracking down on > increasingly overt manifestations of ultraconservative Islam in > Egypt. > > While a vast majority of Egyptian women wear the headscarf, only a > few wear the niqab, which covers the face and is common in > neighbouring Saudi Arabia. > > Cleric Mohammad Sayyed Tantawi's plans came to light when he told a > middle school student in a class he was visiting earlier this week to > take off her niqab. > > Tantawi was inspecting Al Azhar's schools at the start of the > academic year to check on measures in place to stem the spread of > swine flu, according to details of the visit published by the > independent daily Al Masry Al Youm. > > Tantawi angrily told the girl that the niqab "has nothing to do with > Islam and is only a custom" and made her take it off. > > He then announced he would soon issue an order banning girls from > entering Al Azhar schools wearing the niqab.
• 
  Dr. Nilgün Birgören    Premium Member   Group moderator

  The company name is only visible to registered members.

  Re: Egypt's top cleric plans face veil ban in schools

  Egypt's biggest public university has banned female students who wear the niqab from replacing the full-face veil with surgical masks in examination halls.
  
  Officials at Cairo University said that replacing the niqab with facemasks violates a recent ruling by the Administrative Court, which upheld a ban on the full veil in examination halls.
  
  The controversy over the niqab in this predominantly Muslim country erupted last October when Mohammad Tantawi, the Grand Shaikh of Al Azhar, the leading Sunni seat of learning, banned the niqab in female-only classes and dormitories.
  
  The top cleric said that the costume is not an Islamic duty. A few days later, Minister of Higher Education Hani Hilal followed suit, citing security reasons.
  
  He explained that several men were caught donning the niqab to enter university hostels.
  
  Later, Hilal barred niqab-dressed students from taking their exams. He also ordered that niqab-dressed female lecturers should not be allowed in classes.
  
  The ban has sparked protests and prompted students and Islamists to go to court to revoke it.
  
  "Our university is committed to enforcing the court ban on the niqab inside examination halls," said Adel Zayed, vice-president of Cairo University. "This ban is meant to serve the students' interests as some examinees exploit the full veil for cheating."
  
  • 12 Jan 2010, 8:57 pm
  Dr. Nilgün Birgören wrote: > Egypt's biggest public university has banned female students who wear > the niqab from replacing the full-face veil with surgical masks in > examination halls. > > Officials at Cairo University said that replacing the niqab with > facemasks violates a recent ruling by the Administrative Court, which > upheld a ban on the full veil in examination halls. > > The controversy over the niqab in this predominantly Muslim country > erupted last October when Mohammad Tantawi, the Grand Shaikh of Al > Azhar, the leading Sunni seat of learning, banned the niqab in > female-only classes and dormitories. > > The top cleric said that the costume is not an Islamic duty. A few > days later, Minister of Higher Education Hani Hilal followed suit, > citing security reasons. > > He explained that several men were caught donning the niqab to enter > university hostels. > > Later, Hilal barred niqab-dressed students from taking their exams. > He also ordered that niqab-dressed female lecturers should not be > allowed in classes. > > The ban has sparked protests and prompted students and Islamists to > go to court to revoke it. > > "Our university is committed to enforcing the court ban on the niqab > inside examination halls," said Adel Zayed, vice-president of Cairo > University. "This ban is meant to serve the students' interests as > some examinees exploit the full veil for cheating."
• 
  Dr. Nilgün Birgören    Premium Member   Group moderator

  The company name is only visible to registered members.

  Re^2: Egypt's top cleric plans face veil ban in schools

  An Egyptian court on Wednesday revoked a ban imposed by another court earlier this month on female students taking examinations at governmental universities while wearing the niqab (a full-face veil).
  
  The Higher Administrative Court said in its ruling that the students have the right to don the niqab inside the examinations halls.
  
  The ruling is the latest in a series of pro-and anti-niqab rulings passed by local courts recently in response to lawsuits filed by students and Islamists.
  
  The ban was originally ordered by Minister of Higher Education Hani Hilal, who attributed it for security reasons.
  
  He had said in earlier remarks that the full veil is abused by some girls to replace others inside the examination halls. The ban is in force at Egypt's governmental universities.
  
  Last October Hilal enraged Islamists and some human rights groups when he barred students wearing the niqab from staying at the low-cost university hostels. The ban triggered a series of protests. However, the niqab is allowed on the campus.
  
  The full-face veil is increasingly popular in this predominantly Muslim country though the Sheikh of Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, declared that the attire is not an Islamic duty.
  
  • 20 Jan 2010, 9:32 pm
  Dr. Nilgün Birgören wrote: > An Egyptian court on Wednesday revoked a ban imposed by another court > earlier this month on female students taking examinations at > governmental universities while wearing the niqab (a full-face veil). > > The Higher Administrative Court said in its ruling that the students > have the right to don the niqab inside the examinations halls. > > The ruling is the latest in a series of pro-and anti-niqab rulings > passed by local courts recently in response to lawsuits filed by > students and Islamists. > > The ban was originally ordered by Minister of Higher Education Hani > Hilal, who attributed it for security reasons. > > He had said in earlier remarks that the full veil is abused by some > girls to replace others inside the examination halls. The ban is in > force at Egypt's governmental universities. > > Last October Hilal enraged Islamists and some human rights groups > when he barred students wearing the niqab from staying at the > low-cost university hostels. The ban triggered a series of protests. > However, the niqab is allowed on the campus. > > The full-face veil is increasingly popular in this predominantly > Muslim country though the Sheikh of Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest > seat of learning, declared that the attire is not an Islamic duty.