While France has put the question of the abaya at the heart of the start of the school year, Egypt is divided around the full veil, soon to be banned in public and private schools.
From September 30, there is no longer any question of seeing these large niqabs – black – in class which cover the entire body and only reveal the eyes. The decree from the Ministry of Education published on Monday could not be clearer. The simple scarf in returnhe, is authorized, provided, says the text, that it does not result from any “pressuren” exercised on the student.
Except that this decision divides society : for two days, supporters of the full veil have been spreading their indignation on social networks. Islamists and human rights defenders shoulder to shoulder! “If a person wants to wear the niqab, they must be able to do so.” is the most common argument. The Egyptian Constitution protects religious freedoms. Restricting the niqab is in their eyes a violation of individual freedoms, an interference in private life.
In 2009, the same debate on the niqab
This is not the first time that this debate has arisen in Egypt. OWe saw the same fever almost 15 years ago, in 2009, when the niqab was banned – this time in higher education. It was Al-Azar University, one of the most renowned schools of Sunni Islam, which launched the initiative, followed by the government for the public. HAS At the time, these decisions caused a scandal, women even demonstrated.
The Mufti of the Republic, arbiter of religious questions, had nevertheless decided: the full veil is “a tradition” not one “Islamic obligation. Public institutions, hospitals or universities have absolutely “the right to prohibit it “This was obviously not enough to ease tensions.
Fight against the Muslim Brotherhood
If the government is doing it again today, it is to fight against the trivialization of this full veil, which certainly remains in the minority in Egyptian educational establishments, but which testifies to a creeping radicalization of society, attributable according to him to the influence of fundamentalist movements and more particularly to the Muslim Brotherhood.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, as religious and practicing as he is, has led – since he took power in a coup ten years ago – a fierce fight against this brotherhood of Salafist ideology for prevent him from returning to power. Classified as a terrorist organization, it is now banned, its members have been assassinated… or imprisoned by the thousands.
In the eyes of some Egyptians, however, this new ban on the niqab risks awakening Islamic extremism rather than marginalizing it. Many in this debate point out that in the education system, the government should prioritize overcrowded classes, outdated equipment, or poorly trained teachers.