CAIRO: Five Tunisian students went on a hunger strike on Wednesday to protest a ban on the niqab at a University of Manouba, just west of Tunis. The students are reportedly under medical monitoring, and will continue the hunger strike indefinitely. The dispute over the niqab ban began last November, with the university banning the garment due to security concerns. A group of Salafist Muslim students held a series of sit-ins to protest the ban, shutting down the university for a month and a half. The sit-ins will continue as the students launch their hunger strike, however university officials want to disperse the protests before exams start on January 24. “I don't wear the niqab or the veil, but I believe that any woman should have the right to dress as she believes is appropriate. That is freedom,” university student Hend Mohamed told Bikyamasr.com via email on Thursday. A dispute between Islamist and liberal students at Tunisia's Sousse University recently turned violent, with three students sustaining injuries. The political scene in Tunisia has remained tense, over a year after popular uprisings toppled the regime of former President Ben Ali. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/GNv0Z Tags: Niqab Ban Section: Latest News, Religion, Tunisia, Women
