Saudi Sheik Aedh al-Garni’s Says “No”
What should Muslim women who normally cover their faces do when laws are introduced to make it illegal to do so, as may happen in countries such as France, Belgium, and Spain? A Saudi woman living in France put this question to popular Saudi cleric Sheik Aedh al-Garni, whose writings are widely read and whose advice thus carries some weight. While deploring efforts to introduce such laws, his advice is that, in countries where the full-face veil is banned, it is permissible for Muslim women to reveal their faces.
Sheik Aedh al-Garni’s Reason For His Guidance (Fatwa)
Sheik Aedh al-Garni said: “We should not confront people in their countries or elsewhere. In case a ban is enforced against a Muslim woman there – and as a consequence there is a reaction or negative implications or harassment or harm – it is better for the Muslim woman to reveal her face.”
Other Clerics’ View
Not all clerics are as liberal as Sheik Aedh al-Garni over this issue. For instance, Mohammed al-Nujemi, a Saudi professor at the Institute of Judicial and Islamic Studies in Riyadh said “The Saudi woman should not go on tourism to non-Muslim countries. Going to a non-Muslim country without a necessity is not permissible according to the sharia”.
Think About It
If wearing the full-face veil can be abandoned in countries where it is banned, why are some people still seeing it as a religious obligation? “We should not confront people in their countries…”. Does this mean that foreigners should try their best to adapt to the customs of the host country, especially when the foreign customs are not welcome?
Previous posts
Syria Quietly Bans The Burqa And The Nijab In Schools And Universities
Attempts To Ban The Burqa Continue In France And Elsewhere
Council Of Europe Opposes General Ban On Wearing Of Full Face Veils
France Resolves To Ban The Full Veil Just As Council Of Europe Opposes Ban
Fined For Wearing A Burqa In Italy … Then Confined To The House?
Belgium Goes For National Ban On Full Face Veil
Burka Not Welcome In France
Wearing A Veil (Hijab) Is A Muslim Woman’s Personal Choice
The Muslim Niqab – Custom Or Faith?
Recent Comments