Doing It Quietly The Syrian Way
While attention was being focused on the efforts of European countries to ban full-face veils, Syria, a Middle East country no less, and officially the Syrian Arab Republic, quietly went about its ban on burqas and nijabs, first in schools, then in universities. The hijab (headscarf) is not banned.
School Teachers Surprised By The Ban
No official announcement of the ban in schools was made. The ban came to notice last month after female employees who wore the niqab started to complain that they had been fired or reassigned to government offices where they would not come in contact with students. About 1200 teachers were affected by the ban.
Veils Are Inconsistent With Values And Ethics Of Academic Traditions
This month Minister of Education Dr Ghitath Barakat announced a ban on full-face veils at all universities. He explained that such veils are “inconsistent with the values and ethics of academic traditions”. The decision is said to have been prompted by parents of university students, who felt that “modest dressing” did not necessitate wearing a burqa or nijab.
Secularization Of Syria And Reaction To It
According to Syrian officials, the ban was intended to protect secularism in schools. If there has been any outcry it has been a muted one, confined to remarks in cyberspace. Commenting on the ban in schools, Ahmad Moussalli of the American University of Beirut said that “ in Syria, freedom is not a choice; this is an act by the state to curb radical behavior…maybe in certain religious circles they will be upset and angry, but other than that I think not”.
Bassam Kadi, director of the Syrian Women Observatory, referring to the niqab, said: “It’s an imported symbol of religious extremism and contradicts the moderate Islam we know here. If [a woman] wears a niqab, she is forcing an attitude on society. She is making a statement. That is not acceptable in a school”. Bassam Kadi was explaining why he did not take up the cause of those female teachers who were fired and who approached his organization for help.
This apparent acceptance of the bans is quite unlike the reaction in Egypt earlier this year when an Egyptian court upheld a ruling that banned female students from wearing the niqab during final examinations, to reduce the possibility of cheating. This ruling was criticized by clerics and thousands of people took to the streets to protest against it.
Think About It
What message is Syria sending out about the niqab and burqa? What message is it sending out about Islam? Are the niqab and burqa symbols of modesty or something else?
Previous posts
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?
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