Egypt launches campaign against the niqab

[bint Zakir]

I find this to be a stupid campaign and waste of money. Why not educate the masses about drinking, smoking, zina and so on...?


Cairo: In a bid to curb the surge in donning the niqab (a full-face veil), among its female employees, the Ministry of Waqfs (Religious Endowments), has embarked on a controversial campaign to discourage wearing this garb.

"We are not asking the niqab wearers to take it off. The aim of our campaign, based on awareness-raising seminars, is to prove to them that the niqab was originally an Arabian costume in pre-Islamic times," said Selim Abdel Gelil, an aide to the Minister of Waqfs and the one responsible for the campaign.

The campaign got off the ground this week at the premises of the ministry in Cairo and is planned to cover other cities and provinces of this predominantly Muslim country, according to the same official.

"Islam requires women to be decently dressed without obliging them to cover their faces and hands," Abdel Gelil told Gulf News.

"A telling proof is that during the haj (Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia), women are not asked to put on the niqab."

Over recent years, the niqab, which covers the woman from head to toe, has become popular in Egypt. Shops, apparently cashing in on the revival of Islamism, have sprung up in working-class and fashionable areas to sell items for Muslim women.

"I don't see any good reason for this questionable attack against Muslim outfits, including the niqab," said a fully veiled woman employee at the Ministry of Waqfs, who gave her name only as Soad.

"This campaign is a waste of public money. What harm is there for wearing the niqab?" she added.

Soad, who said she has been wearing the niqab since getting married five years ago, urges the authorities to shift focus to scantily clad girls. "These girls deserve more attention than the niqab wearers because after all they are the ones who arouse men's desires."

As part of the campaign, the ministry will publish a book titled "Niqaba Habit, not a Worship" to be distributed for free to female attendees of the seminars.

"There will also be question-and-answer sessions in order to help correct misconceptions about the niqab," said Abdel Gelil.

"Wearing the niqab is not an obligatory duty based on Islamic Sharia (Law). I think Muslims make a big mistake by concentrating on appearances and superficial things, thereby giving a bad idea about Islam," Minister of Waqfs Hamdi Zaqzouq was recently quoted as saying in the local press.

He added that niqab-wearers at his ministry would not be assigned preaching missions.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr Hatem Al Gabali has recently warned that female nurses wearing the niqab would be re-posted from hospitals to administrative jobs, saying the costume hampers them from efficiently serving patients.

SOURCE: http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Egypt/10304816.html

[Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн]

:sl:

How ridiculous lol. Now ppl r going to take this as an initiative and niqaabi sisters will be criticized for it, at jobs especially. And I agree its a waste of money and TIME. That sister was right when she said they should give more attention to those who don't cover.

[transition?]

Of allllllll the things they could be working on.

[burdenofbeing]

I approve this action.

Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.

When you create an account, you can participate in the discussions and share your thoughts. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and make new friends.
Sign Up

[أبو سليمان عمر]

Al-Bukhaari and others narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A woman should not wear niqaab or gloves.” But if she needs to cover her face because men are passing close by her, then she should lower part of her garment from the top of her head over her face. This was narrated from ‘Uthmaan and ‘Aa’ishah, and this was the view of ‘Ata’, Maalik, al-Thawri, al-Shaafa’i, Ishaaq and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, and we do not know of any opposing view. This is because of the report narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said: “The riders used to pass by us when we were in ihraam with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When they drew near, one of us would lower her jilbaab from her head over her face, and when they had passed by we would uncover our faces.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1833 and by al-Athram. Al-Mughni, 3/154. The hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Risaalat Jilbaab al-Mra’ah.
This shows even though in Ihram women are not supposed to wear Niqaab but if men are there they still have to cover the face

[GreyKode]

Sisters, I don't think this is a campaign against niqab. I think it is simply a campaign to enlighten people about wether the niqab or only the hijab is obligatory, because there are all sorts of irresponsible booklets from individuals who are not scholars that keep giving fatawa about how the Niqab is the one and only option for a muslim woman.

[bint Zakir]

Educating the masses about niqaab is one thing... but to tell them only 1 point of view, that it is purely cultural, is not educating them but trying to stifle them with this one view point. If they were letting women know the different view points of niqaab considering the Quran and Sunnah and conclusions from great scholars there is nothing wrong with that. However, this will only make things more difficult for sisters wearing niqaab and cause fitnah between niqaabi and non niqaabi sisters.

I know for sure there are way more dangerous things going on in Egypt that they need to be focusing on rather than sisters who are covering their faces. Its a foot long piece of fabric for crying out loud. What about the women parading in the streets almost naked? What about the people who drink, smoke, do drugs, commit zina? How about people who don't even pray?! These are MUCH bigger issues that they should be focused on subhanAllah.

Ultimately it's a matter of them shattering the acceptance of something that is highly viewed as part of the religion (disregarding whether someone sees it as just a garment of ummahaatul mu'mineen, sunnah, wajib, or fard), they're showing a type of discomfort and dislike for something that is part of the deen and as Muslims we should not be doing that. Just as probably most women are not comfortable with the thought of their husbands taking another wife, the fact remains that it is a part of Islam and we should accept it as such and understand it, not speak against it and make it sound as something bad. It's not something we MUST practice, but it's part of what makes this beautiful religion.

[GreyKode]

I know for sure there are way more dangerous things going on in Egypt that they need to be focusing on rather than sisters who are covering their faces. Its a foot long piece of fabric for crying out loud. What about the women parading in the streets almost naked? What about the people who drink, smoke, do drugs, commit zina? How about people who don't even pray?! These are MUCH bigger issues that they should be focused on subhanAllah.

Barakallah feeki sister you are truly right. There are things much worse to look at than to bother about niqab.

[noorseeker]

do people find islam too strict,

[أبو سليمان عمر]

do people find islam too strict,

islam is great and Allah has not forbidding any thing good for us only that which is bad for us so is islam to strict no islam is perfect only if we followed it :)

[Muhajabah]

Barakallah feeki sister you are truly right. There are things much worse to look at than to bother about niqab.

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

Reminds me of my latest blogpost, about how people are flaunting their sins openly on for instance Facebook, and how tired I am of seeing "sisters" in pictures on discos with drinks in their hands, and their eyes tells me its NOT a non-alcoholic drink exactly...

[Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн]

I totally agree with sister bint Zakir :).

[S_87]

Al-Bukhaari and others narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A woman should not wear niqaab or gloves.” But if she needs to cover her face because men are passing close by her, then she should lower part of her garment from the top of her head over her face. This was narrated from ‘Uthmaan and ‘Aa’ishah, and this was the view of ‘Ata’, Maalik, al-Thawri, al-Shaafa’i, Ishaaq and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, and we do not know of any opposing view. This is because of the report narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said: “The riders used to pass by us when we were in ihraam with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When they drew near, one of us would lower her jilbaab from her head over her face, and when they had passed by we would uncover our faces.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1833 and by al-Athram. Al-Mughni, 3/154. The hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Risaalat Jilbaab al-Mra’ah.

whats your point? this is for a woman when she is in Ihram. and only Ihram. Otherwise the veil was worn

[أبو سليمان عمر]

whats your point? this is for a woman when she is in Ihram. and only Ihram. Otherwise the veil was worn

yes indeed sis my point was to show even in Ihram wear they are not to wear niqab she still must cover face in front of man :)

[أبو سليمان عمر]

i probably should have state the who thing :) or said somthing jazakAllahu KHAYR i will eidted it :)

[Ummu Sufyaan]

:sl:
i hope that rule applies to women who only work in segregation from men

[Sahabiyaat]

Soad, who said she has been wearing the niqab since getting married five years ago, urges the authorities to shift focus to scantily clad girls. "These girls deserve more attention than the niqab wearers because after all they are the ones who arouse men's desires."

exactly.

Im not completely against it....but it is a rather futile cause, considering the hundreds of other things they could be spending the money and effort on.

[Dawud_uk]

exactly.

Im not completely against it....but it is a rather futile cause, considering the hundreds of other things they could be spending the money and effort on.

i hate hose mubarak, he is a taghoot and may Allah punish him severly and his coherts in the government and security services.

given that the secret police are called the beard police due to their habit of rounding up everyone with a beard after any incident and torturing them until they confess then i think we can see why the government would be so concerned with the niqab.