CAIRO: Minister of Family and Population Moshira Khattab said that the recent ban on the full-face veil (niqab) in Azhar classrooms is "matter of national security. The niqab saga has preoccupied Egyptian government officials, human rights activists and society as a whole following the decision by Sheikh Al-Azhar to ban it inside women-only classrooms and dormitories at Al-Azhar institutions as well as dormitories in all public universities for security reasons. "The issue of the niqab will not be resolved except through dialogue and women being fully convinced that it is against their own welfare, not only through administrative decisions. If the government does not try to reach out for them they will become stubborn and stick to their position, Khattab said at a press conference, according to local news reports. Regarding the complaints the Ministry of Family and Population receives from women reporting discrimination for wearing niqab, Khattab says that ministry advises women to "follow the regulations stipulated by the place [they are complaining of]. The niqab issue was triggered by Tantawy's ban and the inappropriate comment he allegedly made to a student wearing the niqab as well as by a Constitutional Court ruling last week which gives authorities and institutions the right to ban it. The court based its verdict on its interpretation of Sharia, which does not oblige women to cover their faces. Religious figures have supported the ban since the niqab is neither an obligation nor a sunnah, stipulated by Prophet Mohammed. On the other hand, Hossam Bahgat, chairman of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, strongly objects to the stance the government is taking as it's a violation against the personal freedom of individuals in their beliefs and dress code. "The decision of banning the niqab is discriminatory and contradicts the Egyptian constitution that emphasizes the concept of citizenship rights and equality between all citizens, he said, even though his organization does not support the face veil.
