The Egyptian government has recently decided to impose restrictions on the wearing of the niqab (full-face veil) for girls attending schools in the upcoming academic year, starting on September 30 this year. Reda Hegazy, Egypt's Minister of Education, publicly announced this decision and outlined the new guidelines. Minister Hegazy clarified that while hair covers are allowed, they should not obscure the student's face. Additionally, any promotion of specific hair cover models or illustrations must receive approval from the Directorate of Education.
Minister Hegazy also stressed the importance of parental consent and awareness regarding a student's choice to wear a hair cover. He emphasized that this decision should be entirely voluntary and free from external pressure or coercion.
Notably, several countries, including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, France, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan, have also implemented bans on headscarves in schools and colleges.
In 2022, the Karnataka High Court in India ruled on the issue of wearing the hijab in schools, upholding the ban and stating that wearing the hijab is not an essential religious practice of the Islamic faith.
The hijab controversy in Karnataka gained attention in early January of the previous year when eight Muslim girls were denied entry to classes at a Udupi college due to wearing hijabs. The college authorities cited the dress code, which did not include the hijab, as the reason for their decision. Many countries, including predominantly Muslim but secularized nations like Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, have banned various forms of Islamic clothing, such as the hijab, niqab, chador, and abaya.
Egypt holds a significant position in the Muslim world, being the most populous Arab country with 100 million inhabitants and hosting the prominent institution of Islamic education, Al Azhar University. Egypt's decision to ban the hijab in schools can serve as evidence that this garment is not deemed essential for practicing Islam, which has implications for both Muslim and non-Muslim countries.
Even though more conservative Muslims in other countries, such as the UAE, might react strongly to a similar ban, they may now be reminded that Egypt, a well-respected center of Islamic thought, has taken such measures without being considered un-Islamic. The Egyptian government has carefully distinguished between covering the hair and the specific head coverings that obscure the face. It's worth noting that all four major Sunni schools of thought (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali) agree that it's obligatory for women to cover their hair, which explains Egypt's cautious approach in not banning hair covering altogether.
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