UK's deputy PM backs veil ban

[Vikrant]

LONDON: After mass protests forced the Birmingham Metropolitan College to drop the controversial ban on face veils used by Muslim students, Britain's deputy prime minister Nick Clegg on Monday raised a storm by supporting the ban.


It's not appropriate for students to wear veil in classrooms, Clegg said while maintaining that people were free to wear what they wished.

Earlier, home office minister Jeremy Browne said a national debate was needed to settle the issue.

"This is a free country and people going about their own business should be free to wear what they wish," Clegg said.

But in the same breath, he added, " I think there should be exceptions to that as far as the full veil is concerned - security at airports for instance. It is perfectly reasonable for us to say the full veil is clearly not appropriate there."

UK's deputy PM backs veil ban on students - The Times of India

 

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd says ugly womens should still be allowed to wear a veil - if dey want to...

Pakistan Islamic body says full face veil not mandatory for women
Oct 20, 2015: In a significant ruling, a constitutional Islamic body in Pakistan has said that covering of face, hands and feet was not mandatory for women under Islamic laws.

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) met yesterday here under the chairmanship of Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, who belongs to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) of Maulana Fazlur Rehman. "The covering of face, hands, up to the wrists, and feet is not mandatory for Muslim women," the CII chief told media after the meeting. However, he said that it was preferable and good to follow ethics and have a careful attitude in society.

Sherani further said that it was necessary to cover the face and full body "if there are threats of mischief." He, however, failed to explain 'mischief'. The meeting was also attended by Dr Samia Raheel Qazi of hardline Jamaat-i-Islami party, but she supported the decision despite the fact that she wears a full face veil. According to the details of the meeting, the chief of CII, Sherani, was still in the support of women wearing full veil though he agreed that it was not mandatory under Islam.

The issue of covering full face has been creating hurdles for conservative families to get Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC), which required women to get photographed with uncovered face. It is believed that CII ruling may help them to come up and register to get the CNIC. CII has been set up under the constitution of 1973 to help Islamize the laws. Its rulings are not mandatory for the government.

Pakistan Islamic body says full face veil not mandatory for women - Times of India