Al hamdu lillah! Attitudes Harden in Liberal Barcelona towards Wearing Islamic Dress
Hostility in Barcelona towards Islamic dress can manifest itself as verbal abuse. Photo: The Times
THE TIMES: She walks through the narrow streets in the beating summer sun, covered from head to toe in a black burka, with only her eyes and nose showing through a niqab. In front her two daughters wear bright red versions of the same Islamic garb, save for their faces peeping out for the world to see.

But these are not the streets of Islamabad or Kabul, rather Barcelona — supposedly one of the most liberal, anything-goes places in Europe. This is the city with one of the biggest gay communities on the Continent. It was where Picasso and Dalí learnt their craft and it plays host to the antics of the avant-garde theatre troupe Fura dels Baus.

However, when pressed on the question of the right to wear the veil, the mood is rather less laid-back. A passer-by in the street shouts at the Muslim woman: “Why don’t you stand up for women? You are prisoners of men.”

Beyond the jibes the attitude in Spain’s second city towards the niqab or the face-covering burka appears to be hardening.

Last week, Jordi Hereu, the Socialist Mayor, announced that it would be the first large city in Europe to ban the the full veil in public buildings. Anyone in a burka or niqab will be unwelcome in council offices, libraries or state kindergartens. Read on and comment >>> | Saturday, June 19, 2010

It is becoming increasingly obvious that many European countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and France are prepared to take a stand against women being enslaved and suppressed by their husbands, religion, and culture. It is such a pity that the mealy-mouthed British, the spineless British perhaps more accurately, cannot make a stand for the rights of women, and fight for their Judeo-Christian civilization. It would appear that the British are prepared to allow the culture of the desert to supersede the culture of the greatest civilization that this world has ever known: Judeo-Christian civilization. – © Mark

THE TIMES: Barcelona bans burkas from public spaces: Barcelona became the first big Spanish city to ban the use of the Islamic veil in public spaces. Jordi Hereu, the city’s mayor, signed a decree banning the burka and niqab in council buildings, crèches and libraries. >>> Graham Keeley, Madrid | Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Hijab in the UK: What a Bloody Nonsense!
For British women to take to the veil, hijab, niqab, or burqah is a total bloody nonsense!

Women have to wear such ridiculous garb in countries where men are unable to keep their dicks in their pants, robes, thobes, dishdashas. This is NOT the case in Great Britain. British men have a long history of restraint. A good pedigree, in fact. And that’s more than can be said about men in many Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam.

In Muslim countries, taking to the veil might well be necessary; here in the United Kingdom, it is a nonsense, and an absolute bloody nonsense at that! – © Mark Alexander

All rights reserved

Spanish Town Bans Burka in Public Buildings
THE TELEGRAPH: The Spanish town of Lerida has become the first in the country to ban the Burka in municipal buildings.

The town council voted to prohibit the "use of the veil and other clothes and accessories which cover the face and prevent identification in buildings and installations of the town hall."

The vote, by 23 to one with two abstentions, is the first of its kind in Spain, a country where Islamic veils and the body-covering burqas are little in evidence despite a large Muslim population.

The move is aimed at promoting "respect for the dignity of women and values of equality and tolerance," the town hall said in a statement. >>> | Friday, May 28, 2010

Related article here

Veil Ban Bill to French Cabinet, Women Protest

France: Women Vow to Fight Ban on Islamic Full-face Veil

Dissimulating Opinion: Why It’s Wrong to Ban the Veil
Watch video here: Why it’s wrong to ban the veil: Reza Aslan, a guest of the Sydney Writers' Festival, explains why it's wrong to ban the burqa and niqab.

Sarkozy Warns Against ‘Hurt’ Feelings As Cabinet Approves Veil Ban
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Bill foresees €150 fine for veiled women, men forcing women to veil face jail and €15,000 fine

President Nicolas Sarkozy urged French Muslims on Wednesday not to feel hurt or stigmatised by a planned ban on full face veils that will fine women who hide their faces and jail men if they force them to cover up.

Mr. Sarkozy told a cabinet meeting, which approved the bill that could become law this autumn, that France was an old nation that could not allow its vision of women’s dignity and public order to be violated by the veil.

Only a tiny minority of Muslim women in Europe wear full veils, called niqabs or burqas, but their numbers are growing. The Belgian parliament has already begun debating a ban there and could also impose it in the coming months.

France has reaped criticism from Muslim groups and rights advocates for the planned “burqa ban,” which Mr. Sarkozy called for last year to counter Islamist views among some Muslims.

“This is a decision one doesn’t take lightly,” he said. “Nobody should feel hurt or stigmatized. I’m thinking in particular of our Muslim compatriots, who have their place in the republic and should feel respected.” >>> Tom Heneghan, Paris, Reuters | Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Burqa: l'Assemblée vote une résolution
LE FIGARO: L'Assemblée nationale a adopté mardi, à l'unanimité des députés ayant pris part au vote, une résolution UMP contre le port du voile intégral, première étape avant l'examen en juillet du projet de loi l'interdisant dans tout l'espace public.



Le texte, à forte valeur symbolique mais sans pouvoir contraignant, a été adopté par 434 voix, et zéro vote contre. Les groupes UMP, Nouveau Centre et PS se sont prononcés pour, tandis que les députés communistes, du Parti de gauche et les Verts n'ont pas pris part au scrutin.



Le texte de la résolution stipule que "les pratiques radicales attentatoires à la dignité et à l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes, parmi lesquelles le port d'un voile intégral, sont contraires aux valeurs de la République".



Le vote de cette résolution parlementaire constitue une première étape avant le projet de loi prévoyant l'interdiction générale du niqab et de la burqa dans tout l'espace public, qui doit être présenté le 19 mai en conseil des ministres. [Source: LeFigaro] AFP | Mardi 11 Mai 2010

Verschleierung: Frankreich bereitet Verbot der Burka vor
WELT ONLINE: Das französische Parlament macht ernst: Als erster Schritt zu einem Verbot der Vollverschleierung von Frauen wurde eine entsprechende Resolution verabschiedet. Nach Belgien ist Frankreich das zweite Land der EU, das per Gesetz gegen die Burka vorgeht. Muslime sprechen von einer Stigmatisierung des Islam.

Drei Viertel der Abgeordneten des französischen Parlaments haben am Dienstag für eine Resolution gestimmt, die das Tragen des Ganzkörperschleiers als Verstoß „gegen die Werte der Republik“ bezeichnet. sie soll dem eigentlichen Verbotsgesetz beigestellt werden, das erst im Juli ins Parlament kommt und jegliche Art von Vermummung in der Öffentlichkeit verbieten soll. Vertreter der französischen Muslime kritisierten das geplante Verbot als Stigmatisierung des Islam. >>> | Dienstag, 11. Mai 2010

French Parliament Condemns Islamic Veil
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The French parliament on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the full-face Islamic veil as an affront to the nation's values, setting the stage for a law banning it.

The vote in the National Assembly put France on course to become the second European country after Belgium to declare the wearing of the burqa or the niqab illegal in public places.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party and the opposition Socialists made a rare show of unity in backing the non-binding resolution that declared the veil "contrary to the values of the republic."

"The full veil challenges the values that we share and the very principles according to which we live together," Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told the assembly ahead of the vote.

"The government is determined to take all means to combat these practices which are contrary to the values of the republic," she said. >>> AFP | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Battle Over the Facial Veil in France

Belgium to Vote on Islamic Veil Ban
THE TELEGRAPH: Belgium will today vote on whether to ban on wearing the Islamic burka in public, the first such move in Europe, just a day after the French government promised a similar law.

But a political crisis threatening the Belgian government and objections from France's constitutional watchdog mean the controversial measures might not make it into law.

Belgium's parliament was to vote on the law after its home affairs committee unanimously backed a nationwide ban on clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified, including the full-face niqab and burka.

With both the governing parties and the opposition supporting the measure, Thursday's vote is expected to approve the draft law.

It would allow fines of 15-25 euros (£13-£21) and/or a jail sentence of up to seven days, for anyone ignoring it unless they had police permission to wear such garments. Read on (including politically correct video) >>> | Thursday, April 22, 2010

France Moves Towards Banning Muslim Veil in Public
REUTERS: France is moving toward a ban on wearing face-covering Islamic veils in public, with the government set to examine a draft bill next month amid heated debate over women's rights and religious freedom.

President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke out in favor for a complete ban on Wednesday, and the relevant bill will be presented to the cabinet in May, government spokesman Luc Chatel said on Wednesday.

Sarkozy believed that the full veil, commonly referred to as the burqa in France, "hurts the dignity of women and is not acceptable in French society," he told reporters.

Chatel quoted Sarkozy as saying that everything should be done so that "no one feels stigmatized because of their faith and religious practices."

The proposal has attracted both fierce criticism and praise in the home of the largest Muslim community in the 27-member European Union. Almost 10 percent of France's 62 million population is Muslim.

Most French voters back a ban, polls have shown, but legal experts have warned that it could violate the constitution.

France's highest court, which advises the government on the preparation of new laws, said in March a ban could be unlawful. >>> Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, writing by Sophie Hardach; Editing by Mark Heinrich | Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Le port de la burqa sera totalement interdit en France
Photo : Le Figaro Magazine
LE FIGARO: INFO LE FIGARO - La décision a été arrêtée mercredi matin à l'Elysée par Nicolas Sarkozy : le gouvernement va déposer un projet de loi mi-mai, qui sera soumis à l'examen du Parlement en juillet.

Nicolas Sarkozy a tranché. Malgré l'avis défavorable rendu par le Conseil d'État en mars, le port de la burqa fera l'objet d'une mesure d'interdiction générale sur le territoire national. Un projet de loi sera présenté par le gouvernement. La décision a été arrêtée, ce mercredi matin, lors d'une réunion à l'Elysée, réunissant autour du chef de l'Etat, le premier ministre François Fillon, les responsables de la majorité et les présidents des groupes parlementaires. >>> Par Bruno Jeudy | Mercredi 21 Avril 2010

THE TELEGRAPH – FRANCE: "We're legislating for the future. Wearing a full veil is a sign of a community closing in on itself and of a rejection of our values," Luc Chatel >>> | Wednesday, April 21, 2010

No Veil or No Service from Public Institutions, New Bill Urges Quebeckers
THE GLOBE AND MAIL – Quebec City: Unprecedented legislation requires Muslim women to show their faces in all government locations

Quebec has tabled unprecedented legislation requiring Muslim women to show their faces in all government locations, including schools, hospitals and daycares.

The controversial move by the Charest government - which has said it is committed to secularism and gender equality - marks the first time it has chosen to craft laws to accommodate minorities.

The legislation means the niqab, a full veil covering worn by some Muslim women, will essentially be barred from all government bodies, whether the woman is working for the government or receiving services.

However, public servants can continue to wear religious symbols like a cross or Star of David or even the partial veil known as the hijab worn by Muslim women - just so long as a person's face is in full view.

The bill tabled yesterday in the province's National Assembly said that face coverings of any kind won't be allowed because they disrupt personal interactions, and makes it hard to identify and communicate with people.

"Here in Quebec we receive and we give services with our face uncovered. That's an affirmation that is novel. We believe firmly that we are within the limits of the Charter of Rights," said Justice Minister Kathleen Weil.

"It's a strong, forceful piece of legislation and it's partly because it's so simple." >>> With reports from the Canadian Press and Sarah Boesveld | Thursday, March 25, 2010

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Quebec's view on niqab creates fault line: English-speaking Canada assails province's opposition to headwear; Quebeckers respond with cries of ‘marshmallow multiculturalism' >>> With a report from Ingrid Peritz | Friday, March 19, 2010

Al hamdu lillah! Women Barred from Cairo Clubs as Backlash Stirs Against the Hijab
Many Egyptians feel alarmed and besieged by the tilt towards religion. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Yasmine al-Mehairy did not even really want to be there. She had been invited to a friend’s birthday party at an upmarket nightclub called 35, in the Four Seasons hotel. She was parked illegally but only planned to hand over a bouquet and spend ten minutes inside. But when the bouncer pointed at her headscarf as the reason she could not enter, Ms al-Mehairy decided to fight.

“I ended up arguing with the guy for longer than I would have stayed in the first place if he just let me in,” said the 29-year-old IT professional, who eventually gave up and called her friend to meet her at the door and accept her birthday flowers.

Egypt’s steady drift towards religion has been well documented. But now there are signs of a backlash. In trendy clubs and cafés across Cairo, the hair and neck-covering scarf known as the hijab is increasingly being shunned as unacceptable dress.

Several bars and restaurants where alcohol is served now essentially ban veiled women from entering. The policy is more open in some places than others but seems to apply to at least half a dozen Cairo venues.

“They always give you the ‘there’s going to be alcohol’ reason,” said a Western-raised veiled Arab woman who has lived in Cairo since 2006. “In Egypt it’s mostly that they don’t like the look of it. They want to maintain some sort of prestige,” the woman, who did not want her name to be published, told The Times.

Club and restaurant managers refused to comment on the record about the ban, but several questioned why a devout veiled woman would even want to attend venues that served alcohol. One manager of a Cairo club, however, said that the restrictions were less about protecting the veiled women from “sinful” environments than about shielding the club’s core clients from having to look at veiled women. “It causes a lot of discomfort and doesn’t create the atmosphere I need to make money,” the manager said. “I can either make my regulars comfortable or I make the other 1 per cent comfortable.” >>> Ashraf Khalil in Cairo | Saturday, February 27, 2010

France Denies Citizenship to Man with Veiled Wife
THE WASHINGTON POST: PARIS -- French authorities have denied citizenship to a man who forced his French wife to wear a face-covering veil, saying he had rejected national values of secularism and gender equality.

The government has been speaking out strongly against head-to-toe veils, and is moving toward banning them in public after a long public debate over French national identity in the age of globalization.

Critics call the face-covering veil a gateway to extremism, but the move to ban it has drawn fierce criticism from some of France's five million Muslims, who say such restrictions are based in fear and intolerance of Islam.

President Nicolas Sarkozy has called the veils degrading to women and unwelcome in France. Sarkozy, a law-and-order conservative whose relations with the Muslim community have often been fraught, has been a vocal proponent of an all-out ban on the burqa, niqab and other face-covering Muslim veils. >>> Jenny Barchfield, The Associated Press | Thursday, January 04, 2010

France MPs' Report Backs Muslim Face Veil Ban
BBC: A French parliamentary committee has recommended a partial ban on women wearing Islamic face veils.

The committee's near 200-page report has proposed a ban in hospitals, schools, government offices and on public transport.

It also recommends that anyone showing visible signs of "radical religious practice" should be refused residence cards and citizenship.

The interior ministry says just 1,900 women in France wear the full veils.

In its report, the committee said requiring women to cover their faces was against the French republican principles of secularism and equality.

"The wearing of the full veil is a challenge to our republic. This is unacceptable. We must condemn this excess," the report said.

The commission called on parliament to adopt a formal resolution stating that the face veil was "contrary to the values of the republic" and proclaiming that "all of France is saying 'no' to the full veil".

Presenting the report to the French National Assembly, speaker Bernard Accoyer said the face veil had too many negative connotations.

"It is the symbol of the repression of women, and... of extremist fundamentalism.

"This divisive approach is a denial of the equality between men and women and a rejection of co-existence side-by-side, without which our republic is nothing."

The report is expected to be followed by the drafting of a bill and a parliamentary debate on the issue. >>> | Tuesday, January 26, 2010

BBC: Countries across the continent have wrestled with the issue of the Muslim veil - in various forms such as the body-covering burka and the niqab, which covers the face apart from the eyes. The debate takes in religious freedom, female equality, secular traditions and even fears of terrorism. The Islamic veil across Europe >>> | Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Interdiction du voile intégral : l'avis des juristes
Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Dans son rapport rendu mardi, la mission parlementaire préconise l'interdiction de la burqa par la loi dans les services publics. Les spécialistes du droit estiment en effet qu'une loi est mieux adaptée que des arrêtés municipaux ou des décisions de justice. Mais la justification de l'interdiction s'annonce délicate.

Le parlement peut adopter une loi restreignant le port de la burqa mais la voie est étroite : tel est l'avis des universitaires entendus par la mission d'information de l'Assemblée sur le port du voile intégral. En tout état de cause, une limitation du port de la burqa ne peut être édictée que par une loi, et non par des arrêtés municipaux ou par des décisions de justice, jugent ces juristes.

Ainsi Anne Levade, professeur de droit public à Paris XII, «le législateur bénéficie d'une plus grande liberté que l'autorité réglementaire pour poser des interdictions générales». «Les réglementations éparses qui peuvent exister ont des fondements juridiques très fragiles, observe Bertrand Mathieu, professeur de droit public. Le législateur est seul compétent pour réglementer l'exercice d'une liberté publique», en l'occurrence le droit de se vêtir librement. Et plus encore si le port du voile intégral est considéré comme la manifestation de convictions religieuses. Si les parlementaires décident d'élaborer une loi, quelle base juridique peuvent-ils invoquer?

Selon le professeur Guy Carcassonne, une réglementation du port de la burqa dans les lieux publics ne peut être motivée par le principe de laïcité. Dans son sens actuel, la laïcité signifie que l'État est tenu d'être neutre à l'égard des religions et de respecter la liberté de conscience. Le gouvernement a certes le droit d'interdire à ses agents et aux élèves des collèges et lycées publics de manifester ostensiblement leur confession. >>> Guillaume Perrault | Mardi 26 Janvier 2010

Ganzkörperschleier: Paris will Burka aus der Öffentlichkeit verbannen
WELT ONLINE: Muslimische Frauen in Ganzkörperschleiern sollen in Frankreich nicht mehr Bus und Bahn fahren dürfen. Eine parteiübergreifende Parlamentskommission empfahl ein vollständiges Verbot der Burka in öffentlichen Einrichtungen. Auch Schulen, Krankenhäuser und Behörden dürften verschleierte Frauen nicht mehr betreten.

Frauen im Burka in der südfranzösischen Metropole Marseille. Der Ganzkörperschleier soll in Frankreich aus dem öffentlichen Leben verbannt werden. Bild: Welt Online
In Frankreich zeichnet sich ein Verbot der Ganzkörperverschleierung muslimischer Frauen in Behörden und öffentlichen Einrichtungen ab. Eine parteiübergreifende Enquetekommission der Nationalversammlung forderte einstimmig eine Parlamentsresolution, die ein Verbot der Burka „auf dem Gebiet der Republik“ verlangen soll. Eine große Mehrheit der Kommissionsmitglieder sprach sich zudem für ein Gesetz aus, das die Vollverschleierung in allen staatlichen Einrichtungen untersagt.

Das würde unter anderem bedeuten, dass Frauen, die eine Burka tragen, keine öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel wie Busse oder U-Bahnen benutzen dürften. Auch der Zutritt zu Schulen, Krankenhäusern und Behörden wäre Burka- und Nikab-Trägerinnen damit untersagt. Weiter erlaubt wäre die Burka damit auf offener Straße und in der Privatwirtschaft.

„Ganz Frankreich sagt Nein zum Ganzkörperschleier und verlangt, dass diese Praxis auf dem Gebiet der Republik verboten wird“, heißt es im Vorschlag des Parlamentsausschusses für die Entschließung. Eine Burka zu tragen widerspreche „den Werten der Republik“. >>> AFP/dpa/ks | Dienstag, 26. Januar 2010

Für Burka-Verbot in Frankreichs Service Public: Parlamentskommission will Einschränkung von Verschleierung
NZZ ONLINE: Frankreich setzt ein offizielles Zeichen gegen die volle Verschleierung: Die Burka soll zwar nicht ganz aus der Öffentlichkeit verschwinden, aber das Tragen soll eingeschränkt werden. Die parlamentarische Kommission spricht von einer Herausforderung für die Demokratie.

Die vor sechs Monaten ins Leben gerufene parlamentarische Mission hat in ihrem «Burka-Bericht» klare Worte gefunden. Das voll verschleiernde Gewand sei Ausdruck einer gesellschaftliche Einkerkerung, die von einer islamische Minderheit propagiert werde. Der damit verbundene absolute Rückzug einer Person aus der Öffentlichkeit spiele sich oft auf dem Hintergrund einer sozialen und materiellen Not ab. Die Bewegung und die damit verbundene Ghettoisierung verkörpere eine Herausforderung für Demokratien.

Die Gruppe der Parlamentarier, die mit ihrem Bericht ein erstes offizielles Zeichen gegen die volle Verschleierung in Frankreich setzt, hat ihren Bericht am Dienstag dem Präsidenten der Nationalversammlung überreicht. Die Analyse, die unter dem Vorsitz des kommunistischen Abgeordneten André Gerin entstanden ist, gilt als Baustein eines Gesetzesentwurfs, der demnächst in Angriff genommen werden dürfte. Hoche Wellen wirft das Thema bereits jetzt. Denn, so eine der brennenden Fragen, lassen sich in der Republik individuelle Rechte (hier das Recht zur «freien» Kleidung) mit dem anderen staatsprägenden Gebot der gesellschaftlichen Integration vereinbaren?

Starke Symbolkraft

Der Bericht und die Schlussfolgerungen sind klar: Die Kommission schlägt nämlich vor, dass dort, wo öffentliche Dienstleistungen erbracht werden, die Verschleierung nicht toleriert werden soll. Von einem generellen Verbot, was einem Totalverbot des umstrittenen Gewands in der Öffentlichkeit gleichkäme, rät die Gruppe ab. Nun wird sich das Parlament mit dem Bericht befassen; anschliessend soll ein Gesetzesentwurf ausgearbeitet werden. Die Stossrichtung der Kommission … >>> Manfred Rist, Paris | Dienstag, 26. Januar 2010

France Gets Tough on the Burqah
MAIL ONLINE: Women who wear the burka in France should be banned from using public transport or receiving state handouts, a government spokesman has said.

The call came just one day after the head of President Nicolas Sarkozy's party, the UMP, said that Muslim women wearing full face veils should not be granted French nationality.

Now UMP party spokesman Frederic Lefebvre has demanded any woman breaking a proposed law making the garment illegal should be 'deprived of her rights'.

He said: 'When you don't respect your responsibilities, you should not have access to any benefits.

'The rights and responsibilities of citizens in France are important.

'When you ignore rules that make things illegal, like a ban on the burka, you have have some of your rights taken away, like the right to state benefits or using public transport.'

Ruling UMP party chief Xavier Bertrand said on Sunday that women who wear burkas and niqabs should not be allowed to acquire French citizenship.

He said: 'The full veil is simply a prison for women who wear it and will make no one believe a woman wearing it wants to integrate.'

President Sarkozy has branded Islamic face veils 'a sign of debasement that imprison women' and said they are not welcome in his country.

As the national debate raged on Islamic headwear, Sarkozy said last week he wants MPs to vote on a total ban on all full face veils in France. Ban women wearing the burka from benefits and public transport, demands French government spokesman >>> Ian Sparks | Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A Relationship with God, My Foot!
THE INDEPENDENT: To some it is a symbol of female subjugation. But these women believe that their Islamic headwear is a versatile, liberating way of expressing their identities.

Jilbab. Niqab. Al Amira. Dupatta. Burqa. Chador. Even the language used to describe the various kinds of clothing worn by Muslim women can seem as complicated and muddied as the issue itself. Rarely has an item of cloth caused so much consternation, controversy and misunderstanding as with the Islamic headscarf or veil.

For those Muslims who literally wear their religion on their sleeves, hijab (from the Arabic for curtain or screen) can be many things. For some it is a cultural practice handed down through the generations, an unquestioned given that is simply adopted. For others the need to dress and behave modestly can define a person’s relationship with God, their religious devotion or even their politics. For others still hijab is a complicated journey, one with twists and turns where veils are briefly discarded on the ground or taken up with willing fervour.

“Muslim women wear hijab for many reasons including piety, identity and even as political statements,” says Tahmina Saleem, the co-founder of Inspire, a consultancy which helps Muslim women become vocal members of their communities. “Most do so willingly, some unwillingly”. The many faces behind the veil >>> Arifa Akbar and Jerome Taylor | Wednesday, January 13, 2010

No Burqas in France? Ruling Party Moves to Ban Veils in Public
A woman wears a burqa as she shops with her family at a street market in Roubaix northern France, August 9, 2009. France's ruling party has announced plans to present a bill to ban Islamic veils in all public places. Photograph: The Christian Science Monitor
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: The new effort to outlaw the full-length veil - niqabs and burqas - in public trumps earlier efforts to ban it only in some official buildings. The move comes at a time when French Muslims say they are being targeted as outsiders or not fully French.

Paris: The French ruling party of President Nicolas Sarkozy now affirms it will present a bill to ban full-length Islamic veils in all public places in France. It won't wait for the results of a parliamentary inquiry into the all-covering niqab and burqa to be published. The move adds fuel to an increasingly hot debate on French identity that has minorities here upset.

A nationwide identity debate, engineered by the ruling UMP party last month, has evolved into an embarrassingly unruly discussion about Muslims and northern Africans in France. And it comes on the heels of a surprise vote in neighboring Switzerland last month to outlaw the construction of new minarets at Muslim worship sites.

The UMP effort to outlaw the full-length veil in public trumps earlier efforts to ban it only in some official buildings, and comes at a time when French Muslims say they are being targeted as outsiders or not fully French.

Yet UMP party leader Jean-François Cope yesterday said veils that cover a woman’s entire face are a “violation of individual liberty” and a “negation” of one’s identity and that of others in a public milieu.

Under the proposed law, women would not be able to move in public with their faces fully covered. The legal rendering is that burqas and all-covering niqabs are a public order issue, and not a religious practice issue - as is the French ban on headscarves in schools, which has been carried out to uphold French secularism, known as laïcité.

Offenders wearing veils would receive a fine – though lawmakers now say there will be a period of mediation following the initial charge. Vote expected in early Jan >>> Robert Marquand, Staff writer | Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Covering Egypt – Egypt
Watch Journeyman Pictures video here

Al-Azhar Chief 'Should Resign Over Veil Remark'
AFP: CAIRO — A Islamist lawmaker called on Wednesday for the head of the most prestigious centre of religious learning in the Sunni Muslim world to resign after he told a schoolgirl to remove the veil covering her face.

The demand to step down came as about two dozen students, wearing the face veil, known as a niqab, protested outside the state-run Cairo University, which has banned the veils from its residence hall.

Mohammed Tantawi, head of Al-Azhar University, told a schoolgirl to remove her niqab when he spotted her during a tour of an Al-Azhar affiliated school, the independent Al-Masry al-Youm newspaper reported this week.

He also said he intended to ban the niqab at Al-Azhar and made an unflattering remark about the girl's appearance when she took off the veil, the newspaper said.

"And you look like this; what would you do of you were a bit pretty," he reportedly asked, adding "I know more about religion than your parents."

Al-Azhar spokesman Ahmed Tawfiq confirmed Tantawi had asked the girl to remove the niqab, but said he spoke to her in a kindly way.

He said Tantawi, who insists the niqab is not an Islamic practice, wanted to ban the niqab from Al-Azhar classrooms on religious grounds.

"The imam always bases his decision on religious grounds," said Tawfiq.

Hamdi Hassan, an MP with the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, said "Tantawi cannot stay in his post; he hurt's Al-Azhar every time he says something.

"I believe the niqab is not an obligation, but it is a benefit," he added. "Why ban it from Al-Azhar? It's a religious institution, not a belly dancing academy." >>> Samer al-Atrush (AFP) | Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Kuwaiti MP Blasts Top Egypt Imam over Veil
ARAB TIMES: KUWAIT CITY: A Kuwaiti hardline Salafist MP on Wednesday blasted Egypt’s leading cleric Mohammed Tantawi for reportedly saying that wearing a face veil was not an obligation under Islam for women. “Tantawi’s statements against the niqab (face veil) are shameful,” Mohammad Hayef told reporters. “He is known for his bizarre and abnormal fatwas (religious edicts).” Tantawi, head of the Islamic Al-Azhar University, reportedly asked a student to take off her niqab when he spotted her in a classroom at an institute run by the university. The cleric reportedly said the niqab was a tradition, not an Islamic obligation.

The niqab has come to be associated with Salafism, a brand of ultra-conservative Islam practised mostly in Saudi Arabia and some Gulf states. Al-Mutairi, who is also the Al-Thawabet Bloc Secretary General — asserted this statement defies the actions of Islamic clerics and the spirituality code of scholars. Islamists in Egypt and the whole world launched a scathing attack against Al-Tantawi immediately after the publication of these reports. “The public has grown familiar to the appalling statements of Al-Tantawi who has continued to brandish his idiosyncrasies to the whole world,” said Al-Mutairi. [Source: Arab Times] Dahlia Kholaif, Arab Times Staff and Agencies | Wednesday, October 07, 2009