Egyptian Court: University Can't Ban Veils

American University Of Cairo Says Ban Protects "Personal Safety And Security"

(AP)  An Egyptian supreme court decided Saturday that a liberal university in Cairo cannot ban women from wearing the face veil while inside the campus, a court official and a lawyer in the case said.

However, the American University in Cairo said the decision by a legal committee of the Supreme Administrative Court was not the final ruling, and that the top court was yet to give its verdict in the five-year-long case.

According to the court official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, the court's presiding judge, Sayyed Nawfal, turned down a bid submitted by the university to prevent women with face veils from entering the campus.

The university, also known in Cairo as the AUC, has been engaged in a legal battle with Heba el-Zeini, a professor at the Islamic Al-Azhar University who filed a lawsuit in 2001 after the AUC banned her from entering its library wearing a face veil.

At the time, a lower court ruled in favor of el-Zeini, saying she had a right to go into the university wearing a niqab, the Islamic full face veil that leaves only a slit for the eyes.

The AUC appealed the verdict and the case was transferred to the Circuit of Unification of Principles, an 11-judge committee of the Supreme Administrative Court, for a decision.

On Saturday, the committee rejected an absolute ban on the niqab, the court official said. But, it also recommended that women wearing the veil can be made to uncover their face before female security guards as a form of verifying their identity before entering a campus.

The official said the decision will force other universities in Egypt to relinquish existing bans on veils, whether niqabs or hijabs — scarves that cover just the hair, leaving the face visible.

The Egyptian constitution relies in large part on Sharia, or codified Islamic law, which many believe dictates that girls must wear the hijab after puberty. Some scholars believe that the codes also mandate the niqab, but that remains debated.

There is no uniform religious opinion in the Muslim world whether women must wear either the scarf or the veil. Some view various forms of head scarves and niqabs as signs of cultural or Islamic pride, while others see face veils as signs of extremism.

Nizar Mahmoud Ghorab, el-Zeini's lawyer said judge Nawfal's decision was a victory for all Islamic female students.

“This court shut the door in front of anybody who bans the niqab,” Ghorab told The Associated Press.

The AUC said it was “consulting with its attorneys.”

“The decision, which is not a final ruling for the case, highlights the complexity of the issue placed before the court,” the AUC said, adding that the decision by the court committee will now be “transferred” to the Supreme Administrative Court for a judgment.

“While the American University in Cairo has a policy prohibiting face covering as an issue of personal safety and security, it also recognizes the need for respect for the religious values and convictions of our students,” the AUC said.

But Ghorab said that after Saturday's decision, AUC's “legal doorways are closed now, they have nothing left but to stall by not admitting the truth.”

Sarah Sulieman, an American University female student who appeared in court covered in a black niqab commented on the decision, saying: “Thank God, this is evidence of the justice of the Egyptian judiciary.”

“Now any student can enter the university and study freely, while wearing the niqab,” she said.

[globetrott7]

'Short story' from an European woman living in Egypt. Contrary to the previous comment saying that many Muslim women here don't wear veils, I'd say, the ones not wearing it are the exception from the rule. Most of the "upper class" women don't, that's true, but when you compare the country today to Egypt in the seventies, you will be more than surprised how much the appearance of women in this country has changed (in the "old" movies you'll hardly find any woman wearing the veil). In my opinion the veiling of women does not take place in a vacuum and is linked to a complex attitude. Starting with the education, little boys are allowed to do almost anything whereas little girls are taught to be modest and humble, a veiled woman usually walks some steps behind her husband who, according to the Islamic law (Sharia) has control over her mobility, among other things. There is gender-segregation, or should I say "Apartheid of sexes" in all circumstances... as an European woman living in Egypt you have to bear the effects of a repressive religious (or whatsoever...) system as well which reduces women to bodies, i.e. sexualizing them and producing a host of men greedy for "sensual pleasures" they are deprived of. As a result, to many of them, all the unveiled women seem to be an easy prey... you'll always be harassed by Egyptian men: you are not veiled which signalizes them "you are available"... We are living in the 21st century! Is this the world we want to live in?!

I've been to Egypt. Many Islamic women there don't wear veils. The recent repressive interpretations of the Koran are what is behind the recent increase in doing so.

[xzavierbrown]

I would like to see an athiest liberal to protest this..

[hissteps4u]

Being a Christian has nothing to do with weither or not you coulld actually wear it. If you Visited some countries you would be Forced to wear it!

it Unfortunately is not lAW but Custom laid down by Men who have decided that the Islamic Law requires such for women The Bible also has such a statement concerning women yet we dont force women to wear a full face covering or go to the extreems that Islam does.

Being a Christian has nothing to do with anything when it comes to the Nabib. Ignorance is so prevasive in todays world be it Christiandom or any other realm of religious orders which ply their requirements to be part of their paticular group or groups and goin ghe club of Men.

God Placed No such requirements upon men and most folks are holy Ignorant of their own religious upbringings as to have little understandings of how they came into being in the first place.

[michellem99-2009]

I met a lady here in Seattle who wore the whole dress and I had never seen it before. I am use to the face being seen, I feel she does have that right to and in this world where we can have access to LEARN the good the world has. If this is her style of dress then so be it. I would rather see more choth than skin. I could not wear it as I am Christian.