The Muslim Woman's Veil is under Attack

[Cilmiile]

CAIRO, Egypt — The origin of the debate could not be more intimate: what a woman chooses to wear before she leaves home. But the increasing popularity of the full Muslim face veil has set off an emotional dispute in the Arab world over whether the covering is required by Islam for modesty or a dangerous sign of political extremism.

The debate is most intense in Egypt, the world's largest Arab country, where one university two weeks ago banned women who wear the face veil, or niqab, from living in a hostel, and government-backed newspapers have launched a campaign against it.

"The niqab vogue: an imported innovation, used by the political extremists," read a recent banner on the pro-government Al Mussawar Weekly. "Our new battle is against the niqab," added Mohammed Fatouh, a specialist on Islamic issues in another government-owned weekly, Rose el-Youssef.

Salama Ahmed Salama, a columnist in Egypt's biggest government daily, Al-Ahram, was more blunt: "It expresses an extremist attitude ... Wearing the niqab is as outrageous as wearing a bathing suit or pajamas to the office."

On any given street in the capital, the face of one woman will be fully covered, with only her eyes peering through; nearby another woman will cover her hair, leaving her face bare, and still another will have her face and hair free of any covering.

The dispute highlights the growing wave of conservative Islamic practice across the Arab world _ and among Muslims living in the West _ and the intense struggle between secular governments and Islamic opposition groups. Head scarves fell out of favor among some urban Arab women in the 1920s and 1930s but began reappearing in the 1970s and 1980s. The evolution has been steady with more women covering their hair each year and more also wearing body cloaks.

But the biggest dispute has been over the niqab _ a full facial veil that leaves only a slit for the eyes that re-emerged in Egypt in the late 1980s and has since grown in popularity, both in the Arab world and among Arab Muslims in the West.

Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in early October that he asks women who visit his office to remove the veil so he can see their faces, and called it a disturbing sign of the divisions in British society. Aishah Azmi, a 24-year-old Muslim teaching assistant in northern England, was then suspended from her job for refusing to remove a black veil that left only her eyes visible.

In Egypt, the issue has simmered for years and caught new fire after Straw's comments.

The president of Helwan University on the outskirts of Cairo banned students who wear the niqab from living at the university's hostel, citing security reasons _ and leading to small protests by students.

The female head of the Islamic department of the women's college at Al-Azhar University, Soad Saleh, was recently sued by a radical cleric and received death threats after she said she was "disgusted by women in niqab."

In the West, traditional Muslim dress is seen as a refusal by Muslim immigrants to assimilate and accept Europe's secular values. Two years ago, France banned head scarves and other religious symbols from public places, enraging many Muslim immigrants. Australia's top Islamic cleric also recently sparked outrage when he said that women who do not dress modestly invite rape.

In the Arab world, the dispute centers on fears of growing Islamic extremism and concerns by secular governments, like Egypt's, that they will lose ground to Islamic opposition groups.

Complicating the issue, there is no uniform religious opinion across the Muslim world about whether a head scarf _ much less a face veil _ is required. Some view various forms of head scarves and niqabs as signs of cultural or Islamic pride. Others, however, view face veils as indications of Islamic extremist political opposition.

But some who wear the face veil contend they do so for purely personal religious reasons.

"Believe me, we are normal human beings. But they deal with us like terrorists who are going to blow up everything," said Ashgan, a woman wearing the veil at Helwan University, who would give only her first name during an interview with The Associated Press because she did not want to appear immodest.

She began wearing the niqab three years ago, and takes it off her face just before she enters the hostel's gate, she said.

The top theological authority of Al-Azhar University, the highest seat of Sunni Muslim learning, said he accepted the Helwan University decision to keep women wearing niqabs from the hostel as long as Helwan officials do not require women to also remove their head scarves.

Clerics who believe women should be veiled refer to a verse in the Quran to back up their beliefs: "O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies."

Many Islamic scholars do say that covering the hair is a religious duty, but others disagree and say the verse has other interpretations. As for the face veil, the majority of Islamic scholars say it is not required but is merely a custom that dates back to tribal, nomadic societies living in the Arabian desert before Islam began.

In Saudi Arabia, most women wear a face veil along with a head scarf and full black cloak _ or face harassment by religious police.

Many Egyptian women took off their head scarves in the 1920s. But Egypt became more religious in the 1970s and women began wearing scarves again, even though the government does not encourage it.

[Cilmiile]

A 92-year-old Turkish historian, facing three years in jail, was acquitted last night of insulting Muslim women in a book linking the headscarf to prostitutes in Sumer 5000 years ago.

"I am a person of the Ataturk revolution, and as a Turkish woman I try to bring people together. I'm not someone who is trying to incite hatred," Cig told the court, flanked by 15 lawyers who came to support the Sumerian historian.

Cig, who has translated 3000 stone tablets and published her findings last year, had faced up to three years in jail if convicted of all charges.

Prosecution lawyer Yusuf Akin brought the case against Cig, saying her conclusions about the origins of the headscarf insulted Muslim women.

The Sumerians were among the first settled societies considered a civilisation, ruling southern Mesopotamia or what is now Iraq, from 3000BC to 2000BC. In her book My Reactions as a Citizen, Cig said headscarves were worn by women who worked as prostitutes in temples during the Sumerian period to differentiate them from women who worked primarily as priests.

Females often presided over the temples in the polytheistic society, Cig said.

[Cilmiile]

The case is clear: Somali women must abandon the veil.

[musika man]

veil is for arab women who have awra--like in saudi arabia-black women should never be allowed to wear the veil.

[Galol]

"another government-owned weekly, Rose el-Youssef"

Cilmiile

It is interesting that `Rose-al yousef'; an old Egyptian liberal magazine; with a long and distinguished history of opposing Govts; including Nasser's; is now seen as a pro-govt paper. Is this a sign of the secular, liberal middle classses of Egypt rounding the wagons like the socialist middle classes did in Algeria in the 90s?

[Cilmiile]

It is war, man

We must strangle the extremism that is masquerading as religion

[Ashlee~]

Cilmiili----I see you skilled the art of changing usernames in cuple of seconds!! kuddos man!!



But I disagree---------------why do you care if women wear it?......why does it bother you?-- does it effect you personaly?--or you just want to see half naked women to please the one downstairs?---I dont understand why people getting all uppity on the veil?-----I have no problem with it and infact promoted!!

[Cilmiile]

Ashlee,

Galool knows his Arabian shit. And he knows Islam. He hates it, I grant you. But He knows it inside out.

Cilmiile when it comes to religion = Albaqrana ma gaadhine hadduu baran Idaajaaye

Daahir Aweys = Ardadaan ka tegay buu ahaa Allif Bilowgiye



If that focker is gonna be the Grand Emir of Somalia, Then I am ready to be proclaimed the Grand Khaliif of the Ummah.

Somali women were modest and beautiful before and they never had to become walking tents to achieve that modesty.

[X.Playa]

haday Dhilos toostay ay dantedii garatay waagii horena waxay odhan jireen marku wadaadku dhuuso " alxamdu lilaa".

Xirisi Boqon oo Candhoole ku gabyaayo waa yara hor mar

Belada iyo khayrkaa isu jira, laba bidhaamoode
Bakhtii weeye neefaan bisinka, lagu birayeene
Haddii nin biime isku rido, waa bes taladiiye
Adoon bir iyo hooto wadan, libaax looma soo bu'o e
Buulalaydh maraakiibta, waa lagu bidhaanshaaye
Bad nin galaa biyaha moolku, uma bidhaamaane
Intaan baxar sitiin kula galaan, kaaga soo bixiye
Ba'da looxa lagu soo dhigaan, baac ku dheerahaye
Aar boodda dheer baan ahee, yaa ku bixin doona.
(Xirsi Boqon 1833)

weli waxa kuu dhiman

Intaan baxar sitiin kula galaan kaaga soo bixiye

[Demure]

Cilimile, Walking tents is the result of 16 yrs of war and this is prevalent all over Somalia even the deep baadiyo. It has become the norm way before the wadaado phenomena, they will only ensure it remains permenantly if they have their way.

[Cilmiile]

XPlaya,

That is not Xirsi Boqon. It is Ina Jadeer.


I see you are affixing your mindless arbitrary dates to your Garxajis minor personalities. I bet that man was born in the 1870, if not later. Dont think I forgot that Reer Guuleed thread . I will be there soon to bring down abuse on your tiny head.

Btw, did you check out my other new thread. The one where the Habar Yoonis Siyaad Lackey minister brings down the draconian anti wadaad edicts.

Did you know that he is the man who made the Fatwa that any man who joins the SNM, his wife is divorced and any man can marry her?

Habar Yoonis = Natural Born Lackeys.

[Galol]

Demure

All true. But stating the facts; good though it is is rather inadequate.

What do you think about it?

[Samatr]

[quote="Cilmiile"]
Habar Yoonis = Natural Born Lackeys.[/quote]

Let me get this straight.
the followers of the Sayid
the followers of Siyaad
the followers of Yeey
the followers of Cadde Muuse

Your are the wrong person to be calling anyone a lacky, its pretty ironic you of all people would call anyone a lackey.

[Cilmiile]

Samatr,

Do you know what those guys have in common ?

they are all Daarood.

When I was a lackey of Sayid, You were a lackey of England

Ina Igarre was said to be a thoroughly loyal man.

You were insulting Cumar Carte accusing him of being lackey?

How would you characterize your uncle Ismaaciil Axmed?

Ilaahow ceeb astur

[Samatr]

My uncle was also the chairman of the SNM.

So you do admit to being a lacky and can never lead for yourself?