Egypt's rulers divided over schoolgirl veils
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.TWO DEPARTMENTS of the Egyptian government are at loggerheads over the banning of the hijab - the Islamic headscarf - from girls' schools.
A row has flared between the secular, liberal-dominated Education Ministry, which banned girls from wearing the veil in school, and al-Azhar (the official Islamic church) backed by the Ministry of Religious Endowment, which condemned the decision of the Education Minister, Hussein Kamel Bahaa-el-Dine. Mr Bahaa-el-Dine's administrative order compelling girls' secondary schools to impose a single uniform was intended to settle the argument about the veil.
Mr Bahaa-el-Dine's decision was prompted by the findings of a committee which investigated parents' complaints that their teenage daughters were being taught extreme views and had been intimidated by some ultra- orthodox Muslim teachers into taking up the veil. The committee recommended removing more than 1,000 teachers from teaching duties and suspending more than 200 for 'forcing their political views on pupils and interfering with the curriculum'.
The liberal Dr Bahaa-el- Dine did not anticipate the swift counter-attack by the clergy and fundamentalists. They mobilised al-Azhar to issue a fatwa, or religious edict, condemning his decision as an attempt 'to ban young women from covering their hair as Islam required'.
Al-Azhar's swift reaction is unprecedented. 'This is new to Egypt,' said the liberal Egyptian historian Ahmad Osman. 'Making an issue of the veil is turning the clock back some 80 years.' He noted that in the past only extreme Muslims forced women to cover their hair by intimidation or shouting abuse, and al-Azhar has never before issued a fatwa limiting individual choice, let alone contradicting government policy.
Under pressure, Mr Bahaa- el-Dine retreated and said headmistresses could not insist that girls should remove the veil. Meanwhile the Minister of Religious Endowment endorsed al-Azhar and called for teachers who encouraged Muslim girls to remove the veil to be prosecuted.
Mr Barhaa-el-Dine's retreat was criticised by the liberal Wafd party and left-wing oposition groups. The incident has boosted the credibility of secular Egyptian politicians and feminist groups who have argued for more than a year that Islamic extremists were becoming increasingly influential in Egyptian political life.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments