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0 Document(s)  0 Reference(s)  13 Point of view(s)  1 Expertise(s) 

• Saving children from the chador

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Maryam Namazie
  A ban on conspicuous religious symbols in state schools and state institutions has caused heated debate regarding secularism vs. religious freedoms giving us the opportunity to reiterate our defence of secularism and women’s and children’s rights. While Islamists and their supporters have proclaimed that banning religious symbols in schools and state institutions is a ’restriction of’ ’religious freedoms’ or ’freedom of belief’, ’religious intolerance’, ’a violation of women’s and girls’ rights’, (...)
  
  

• Islam is innocent of Fallaci’s accusations

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Rime Allaf
  Under the pretense of relating her reactions to Sept. 11, for which she blames not terrorists but Islam, Fallaci penned a preposterous diatribe in the Italian daily Corriere della Serra on Sept. 29, “La rabbia e l’orgoglio” (rage and pride) whose every sentence awoke my own rage and pride. Having often savored her discourse, I never imagined losing respect for a writer whose contributions to journalism are undeniable; surprisingly, she has decided to end her distinguished career with (...)
  
  

• Women are women

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Maryam Namazie
  It is crucial to speak about the rights of ‘Muslim’ women, go beyond the issue of the veil, and talk about secularism, particularly in light of the political Islamic movement’s assault on women and their rights, but restricting the debate in this way is seriously flawed. Firstly, the so-called grouping of Muslim women is a constructed one. Out of the innumerable characteristics women have, why focus on their beliefs? Doing so, implies that religion informs the rights of all those labelled as (...)
  
  

• Islam, political Islam and women in the Middle East

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Maryam Namazie
  The situation of women living in Islam-stricken societies and under Islamic laws is the outrage of the 21st century. Burqa-clad and veiled women and girls, beheadings, stoning to death, floggings, child sexual abuse in the name of marriage and sexual apartheid are only the most brutal and visible aspects of women’s rightlessness and third class citizen status in the Middle East. This is Nothing but Islam Apologists for Islam state that the situation of women in Iran and in Islam-stricken (...)
  
  

• When The Crowds Are Gone

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by MechanicalCrowds
  For some reason there is very little English language coverage of this. It's not exactly the best image of Egypt, but pretending it did not happen will not lead to progress. And by not letting this out to the world we are pretending it did not happen. I have to be honest, this is one of those times when I find myself left with no choice but to feel ashamed of being Egyptian. It is one of those times when I feel like I don't want to be in Egypt. When I feel like I want protect all (...)
  
  

• Veil war breaks out on Egypt university campus

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Ramadan Al Sherbini
  “I won’t give up this attire, which makes me feel decent and secure. Why should they target veiled female students, while tolerating scantily clad girls on the campus,” said Zeinab, aged 20. A few weeks ago the Provost of Helwan University Abdul Hayy Ebeid infuriated Islamists in Egypt when he ordered that niqab-wearing students should not be allowed into the dormitories of the institution unless they agreed to be checked by security women to verify (...)
  
  

• Head covering and the freedom of religion

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Sherif Abdel Azim
  A number of European countries are instigating laws to ban or restrict the wearing of the Muslim headscarf. Such legislation questions the foundations of tolerance and equality in societies that champion pluralism and freedom of religion. France is currently considering an outright ban on the wearing of veils in schools, while in Germany, two states have proposed legislation which would also bar the scarf from educational institutions. This article address the (...)
  
  

• The Netherlands To Ban The Face Veil Completely

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Kashmiri Nomad
  "The Netherlands may become the first European country to ban Muslim face veils after its government pledged yesterday to outlaw the wearing in public spaces of the niqab, or veil, and the burka, or full-length cloak covering the head. Rita Verdonk, the immigration minister, signalled that the government would now push for a total ban, even though the legislation would be likely to contravene Dutch religious freedom laws. "The cabinet finds the wearing of a burka (...)
  
  

• Memo to Grand Imam Tantawi

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by The Big Pharaoh
  Dear worshiper Mohamed Tantawi, I'm writing concerning what you stated in the latest issue of Sout El Azhar (The Voice of Al Azhar) newspaper. To be very frank with you my dear worshiper, I was very troubled by what you said because you didn't just state absurd words, you literally put them in my mouth. Therefore, I've decided to set aside a few minutes from my busy daily schedule and pen down this letter to you. First, before telling you how you bothered me, let me just (...)
  
  

• Muslim Veil and Deaf People

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Chantelle Dalker (by email)
  Sir, I am surprised to have noticed that nobody has raised the issues of communication with the 9 million people living in Britain are Deaf or Hard of hearing. I am profoundly Deaf and use British Sign Language to communication. A Vital aspect of sign language is facial expression which is clearly not visible by a person wearing a veil. I am aware Jack Straw has a hearing loss which may be the precise reason he requires the veil to be removed as he would be unable to lip read. Having (...)
  
  

• The niqab and the freedom of religion

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Yawning Bread
  However, this sensitivity may in fact argue for comment. Too often, many of us adopt a policy of not wanting to get involved in the question of the place of Islam in modern society. We may fear causing offence, or sparking uncontrollable passion. Many Muslims too consider it illegitimate for non-Muslims to comment on Islam. Our views are not welcome. We are dismissed from the outset as biased against Islam; this dismissal and prejudgement itself testifying to the fact that many Muslims see (...)
  
  

• Gaza women warned of immodesty

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Khaled Abu Toameh
  A hitherto unknown group calling itself the Just Swords of Islam issued a warning to Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip over the weekend that they must wear the hijab or face being targeted by the group’s members. In pamphlets distributed in various parts of the Gaza Strip, the group also claimed responsibility for attacks on 12 Internet cafes over the past few days. The warning was directed primarily against female students in a number of universities and colleges who do not cover their (...)
  
  

• Egypt veil MP back at work after weeklong isolation

   Point of view 
  12 December 2006, by Middle East Times
  Hosni’s decision to return to work came after a meeting with the minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mufid Shehab aimed at calming the storm caused by his comments, the state-owned Al Gumhuriya daily reported. In an interview published this month, Hosni said that he saw the ever-growing number of Muslim women wearing the veil in Egypt as a negative 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 (...)
  
  

• I Am a Moslem Woman

   Expertise 
  12 December 2006, by Parvin Darabi
  "They differed with me over what times we are living in. It is not a democracy when a man can talk about politics without anyone threatening him. Democracy is when a woman can talk of her lover without anyone killing her." - Dr. Sauad M. Al-Sabah I am a Moslem woman. I have no face. I have no identity. At age 9, based on lunar year (a lunar year is ten days shorter) I am considered an adult. Being an adult means that I have to adhere with Islamic laws as stated below. (...)