New campaign against face veil sparks controversy in Egypt
Mohamed Attiya, the founder of the "Ban the niqab" campaign, speaks to Al-Monitor about why he supports banning niqabs in state institutions despite the criticism the campaign has received.
CAIRO — A new campaign titled “Ban the niqab” was launched in Egypt earlier this month, calling for a ban on the full face veil in all state institutions, including universities, public hospitals, schools and government departments.
The campaign was strongly criticized by some Islamic clerics, who believe that wearing the niqab is a virtuous act by women and banning it is not permissible. Meanwhile, others argued that the campaign was not directed at Islam, saying that the niqab is merely a tradition unrelated to religion that should be removed.
