Egypt may ban ‘Jewish’ niqab in public places

Egypt may soon ban women from wearing the niqab in public places and in government institutions, according to a report in the British Independent last week.

The niqab is a more severe head covering than the hijab, which covers the head and leaves a woman’s face revealed. A niqab leaves only the eyes visible and is usually black in color.

Parliament member Amna Nosseir, a professor of comparative jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, is supporting the ban and said that the Niqab has non-Islamic origins.

Nosseir said the restrictive head covering is in fact a Jewish tradition dating back to the Jewish communities that existed in the Arab peninsula before the beginning of Islam.

The female parliamentarian argued that several passages in the Quran contradict the use of a niqab and said the Muslim holy book advocates modest clothes and covered hair, but no cover for the face.

Egypt, the Independent reported, has already passed several restrictions on wearing the niqab. Last month, Cairo University banned nurses and doctors from wearing it in medical schools and teaching hospital, explaining that the ban would “protect patients’ rights and interests.”

In September 2015, the university banned academic staff from wearing niqabs in classrooms, after students complained that it was difficult for niqab wearers to communicate coherently with students.