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Sheikh Tantawi orders a schoolgirl to remove her niqab

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ennahar 05 October, 2009 05:27:00

CAIRO - The imam of Cairo's prestigious mosque of Al-Azhar has ordered a schoolgirl to remove her niqab, expressing determination to prohibit the wearing of the full veil in schools dependent on Al-Azhar, reported Monday the independent daily Al-Masri Al-Yom.

    Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi made on Saturday a tour of schools dependent on Al-Azhar, to ensure the application of anti-influenza H1N1.

    In a high school for girls in Madinet Nasr, a suburb of Cairo, Sheikh "was surprised to see one of the schoolgirls in niqab when she was in class" the newspaper said.

    He got "angry" and asked her to remove her veil, saying: "The niqab is a tradition, it has no connection with religion."

    The teenager had to remove the veil hiding her face, even if one of these teachers tried to defend her saying that the girl usually takes off her veil in that establishment and had that she had put it on only when she saw the sheikh.

    The imam responded by asking the schoolgirl never to wear the niqab, saying also he was determined to officially ban any person wearing the niqab from entering schools dependent on Al-Azhar according to Al Masri Al-Yom.

    Moreover, according to the newspaper, the Minister of Higher Education Hani Helal has decided to ban access to the universtity campus to students wearing the niqab.

    A vast majority of Egyptian Muslim women wear the hijab, a scarf hiding their hair and neck but leaves the face uncovered. The number of Egyptian women wearing the niqab is however increasing in recent years.

    The niqab, veil supplemented by a fabric revealing only a slit for the eyes, spread in the Arab countries under the influence of Wahhabi Islam from Saudi Arabia.

Ennaharonline/ M. O.

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Comments (19 posted):

Mehedi Islam on 05 October, 2009 06:12:53

What does he know, he's just another shaykh for money trying to please the western lifestyle.

May Allah guide us all to the correct path.

SonOfAdam on 05 October, 2009 07:05:21

You are Kufr

Nina on 05 October, 2009 08:00:50

What does he know? Well he seems to have a better understanding about Islam than you! The prophet had more respect for women than you seem to have. Why don't you honour him rather than honouring yourself and your insecurity-driven subjugation of women?

Shaima on 05 October, 2009 08:49:47

Obviously he doesn't understand anything about Islam. I can't believe this man is the imam of Al Azhar. He's the one who should be banned. Thank God, he's not the only scholar in Al Azhar. Anyways, I don't think his bloody fatwa will have any effect! The niqab by the way is not a Wahhabi thing, the Prophet's wives used to wear it as well.

American Muzzy on the Nile on 05 October, 2009 08:51:46

Mehedi Islam: what do you know? It's the year 2009 and the world is more than East Vs. West. There are amazing, beautiful Muslims thriving in the West. You should really think before making such stupid comments like the one you posted. Astagfirallahil azeem, I'm sick of men like you just whittling our religious dialogues down to East vs. West, money and America.

God knows best.

on 05 October, 2009 08:55:48

applause

LINDZI on 05 October, 2009 09:49:40

nice to see brothers and sisters in islam being so nice to each other!!! You wonder why the rest of the world has not respect for us when we cant respect each other!

? on 06 October, 2009 05:10:52

where's his beard??

Fazzy on 06 October, 2009 05:51:06

Well!!!
Let me take this in this view..!! if the people have their human rights, they also have the rights to wear Niqab and go any where. But if a girl wishes to cover her face, why he wanted to remove and show her face to all other. Its her wish. He can't order things like that.

If you ignore this, some another will order muslim girl to remove hijab also in da future. What you all gonna do??

He might be an Imam, but not the only imam in da world. Islam can't be controlled according to his wish.

Mehedi on 06 October, 2009 11:30:01

@American Muzzy on the Nile, I was referring to the involvement of western politicians in banning Niqab, not the western life. I should of been clearer.

As for what this ignorant "shaykh" has said, perhaps he should re-read the Quran & books of Sunnah before he opens his mouth.

Or he could simply read the books of great scholars of Islam from the past.

mohamed on 06 October, 2009 02:13:57

we used heard pupit goverment we seen man delude him dunya rather than moslim allahum yahdi , moslim they run in their own inters such as democrats,economy,dictatorship,,they against their own society callin name terorism. welcome to cairo women wear hijab tradition not by islamic method

Asiah on 06 October, 2009 07:50:50

Well, we do NOT wear niqab when making Hajj why is going to the market any different!

I don't understand how saying kufr does anything to help the situation.

Granted the sheikh could have handled it better.

Haniyya on 06 October, 2009 09:38:58

Recorded in Musnad Ahmad hadeeth # 20335 that Abu Dhar said, “I was in the presence of the Prophet one day and I heard him saying, ‘There is something more I fear for my Ummah than the Dajjaal.’ It was then that I became afraid, so I said, ‘O Rasoolullaah! Which thing is it that you fear for your Ummah more than the Dajjaal?’ He [the Prophet] said... Read More, ‘MISGUIDED AND ASTRAY SCHOLARS.’

It is related by Shidaad ibn Aws that the Prophet sAllaahu alayhi wasalam said, “Truly, I do not fear anything for my Ummah except ASTRAY SCHOLARS. Thus when the sword is raised against my Ummah, it will not be lifted until the Day of Judgment.”

[Musnad of Ahmad, ahadeeth # 16493, 21360, 31359, 20334 and ad-Daarimi, ahadeeth # 211 and 216 and all of these collections are classed as authentic.]

aaron on 07 October, 2009 12:06:32

this guy is really pathetic. i am a muslim scholar and have done extensive research on this topic and can very safely say that niqab is islamically compulsory in this day and age. the "shaikh" is absolutely incorrect and makes you think he has ulterior motives, which by the way isnt too far fetched considering the history of egypt.one fatwa was given stating in order to work with a female you should suck her breasts so as to become her foster child!! after that, all is permissible. please do not believe this cartoon as niqab is necessary. the purpose is for women to hide there most precious thing, their beauty. the face is the pinnacle of beauty. what use is covering your hair if face is exposed. lets ignore the fool and carry on with our lives.

ibnSisan on 07 October, 2009 11:55:37

Well if Tantawi can issue fatwa that riba (interest) is halal.....

Allahul Musta'an, May Allah guide us all!

on 07 October, 2009 07:49:06

Seing the behaviour of Muslims after being guided to Islam al hamdulillah, nothing surprises me but makes me feel sick all the time I see or hear about similar things to this "Sheikh". May Allah protect the Ummah and guide them to the straight path and preserve the scattered pearls amongst true believers because the Day of Judgment seems to be very close...

Abdl Khaled on 08 October, 2009 02:25:32

As a Muslim I am glad to know that there is an Ulema who makes sense. A lot of them are just downright pathetics living in the 6th-century tradition because they could not keep up with modernism.

The women's hair was the sexiest part of a woman back then, and this applied in the whole middle east. Culture changes, people changes. Niqab is just one aspect of a culture, not an Islamic dogma.

ibnSisan on 12 October, 2009 09:41:56

there are many evidences in the hadith on niqab...that the wives of the prophets and the salafussolehs (the best 3 generation) are putting on niqabs...do not belittle these acts or by simply giving excuse that it is just part of a traditon....give your proofs and daleels before making such statements...

Rasulullah sollallahu'alaihi wassalam is the best example (ma'sum)...by making such statements one is also belittling his sunnahs! Becareful!

NIQABI_BOSNIA on 14 December, 2009 03:43:35

SALAM I CAN NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE HAS DONE! HOW CAN HE SAY TO THAT SISTER, THAT SHE IS NOT EVEN ATRACTIVE, MAYBE SHE WOULD BE ATRACTIVE TO OTHER MAN AND IF HE HAS PIECE OF MORALITY HE WOULDN'T LOOK AT HER, THIS MADE ME NOT STUDYING IN CAIRO ON AL AZHAR! AND I CONSIDER THIS ALSO AS ATTACK ON PROHET'S WIFES-OH MAYBE HE WANTS TO JUDGE THEM ARE THEYACTRACTIVE OR NO?!!HM... SISTERS STAY STILL AND WEAR YOUR NIQABS WITH SMILLES ON UR FACES AND BE PROUD OF IT! LOVE U ALL FISEBILILLAH

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