The niqab has become increasingly popular among Egypt's Muslim radicals


Egypt cleric 'to ban full veils'

Page last updated at 13:07 GMT, Monday, 5 October 2009 14:07 UK

Egypt's highest Muslim authority has said he will issue a religious edict against the growing trend for full women's veils, known as the niqab.

Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university, called full-face veiling a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith.

Although most Muslim women in Egypt wear the Islamic headscarf, increasing numbers are adopting the niqab as well.

The practice is widely associated with more radical trends of Islam.

The niqab question reportedly arose when Sheikh Tantawi was visiting a girls' school in Cairo at the weekend and asked one of the students to remove her niqab.

The Egyptian newspaper al-Masri al-Yom quoted him expressing surprise at the girl's attire and telling her it was merely a tradition, with no connection to religion or the Koran.

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Now, that's a first...

Is it? Didn't Turkey do this in the early republican years?

This is different- in turkey it was banned by a republican administration, this is the first time it is being banned by a religious authority figure.

Ataturk did it, dragging the rest of Turkey screaming and kicking.

Yes, I think this is a basic difference.

As I understand it, up to know most islamic clerics in the world would agree that full-face veils have nothing to do with Islam (as from what I know, there is nothing in Koran saying that women should cover their face).

But this may be the first time that a religious verdict is issued against it.

LOL

I never thought I'd live to see the day when a MF cleric would get anal and technical about distinction of different types of veils and their true connection to islam when it meant REMOVAL of clothes. (!!!!!!)

This is quite possibly the end of days.

Ahh, egyptian women


Pharaonic Egypt, before 1428 BC




ca. 1395 BC





ca. 1350 BC






ca. 1340 BC



Funeral painting in roman Egypt, hellenisti art
1st century AD to 3 or 4th century




some other stunning exemples here
young man
old man
a boy

Islamic civilization
Egypt, 21st century




depiction in art = haram, bitches

If Egypt sets a policy against fanatic imams, what do you think they will do?
Move to Europe, just like Tariq Ramadan(his grandfather founded the Islamic Brotherhood, his father was a promiment member), who is given a position as a European spokesperson for Islam and muslims by European media, governments.