The Islamic Veil is Regressive
Egyptian culture minister Farouk Hosni said in an interview that the ever-growing number of women wearing the Islamic veil in Egypt marked a "regressive" trend.
"There was an age when our mothers went to university and worked without the veil. It is in that spirit that we grew up. So why this regression?," he said in the independent Al Masri Al Yom daily.
"Each woman with her beautiful hair is like a flower, and should not be concealed from the view of others," he said, arguing: "Religion today focuses on appearances too much.
"A woman's true veil is the inner veil, not the visible one," Hosni went on, adding: "The relationship between God and a person does not hinge on the latter's sartorial decisions."
"Egypt must go back to being beautiful and stop imitating other Arab countries, who once considered it [equal] to Europe," Hosni said.
This is one of the very rare times that I find myself in agreement with a member of the Egyptian government.
I wonder what the Mufti and the Azhar dudes will think of that. It's good to have a liberal minister like Farouk Hosni, but on the other hand we have our great mufti who just a few months ago issued a fatwa against statues.
"There was an age when our mothers went to university and worked without the veil. It is in that spirit that we grew up. So why this regression?," he said in the independent Al Masri Al Yom daily.
"Each woman with her beautiful hair is like a flower, and should not be concealed from the view of others," he said, arguing: "Religion today focuses on appearances too much.
"A woman's true veil is the inner veil, not the visible one," Hosni went on, adding: "The relationship between God and a person does not hinge on the latter's sartorial decisions."
"Egypt must go back to being beautiful and stop imitating other Arab countries, who once considered it [equal] to Europe," Hosni said.
This is one of the very rare times that I find myself in agreement with a member of the Egyptian government.
I wonder what the Mufti and the Azhar dudes will think of that. It's good to have a liberal minister like Farouk Hosni, but on the other hand we have our great mufti who just a few months ago issued a fatwa against statues.
posted by zabinzo at
11/16/2006 05:46:00 PM
2 Comments:
I am so happy to hear that announcement by the minister, although he has to be intriduced to justice for what happened in beni swef and the actors and the audiences who died ...but I think what he was talking about is more than veil...he meant that nowadays girls are giving up what their grandmothers earned through severe struggle with the whole society including the religious authorities(sometimes).....we're back in the age of the hareem when the girl would just sit back waiting for some guy to marry her ....it is really ridiculous...
el masry affendi
By
Anonymous, At
10:28 PM, November 16, 2006
Why should I accept something while rejecting something else? A society is made of different people, ages and mentalities, therefore, any person is free to wear anything they like, or see appropriate.
I find it unacceptable to have a minister talking about what or how woman are wearing! This is something personal to any woman. In addition, why this fuzz about the head scarf? more woman are wearing them compare to the past? so what?? for this minister, instead of promoting something to be forced on society (not wearing the head-scarf) is like those who do the opposite (forcing women to wear the head-scarf).
By
Anonymous, At
1:39 PM, November 17, 2006
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