Egypt’s Parliament is currently drafting a law that would prevent women wearing the niqab (full-face veil) in public places and government institutions. The law, which was first revealed by the Egypt Support Coalition, was confirmed by Amna Nusseir, a member of parliament and a professor of comparative jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, on ONtv. The Egypt Support Coalition, which has 250 seats of the 595-member parliament, is expected to introduce the drafted law in the coming weeks. According to Gulf News, Alaa Abdel Moneim, a spokesperson for the Coalition, said that the ban would promote security. “One has the right to learn about the identity of the person sitting next to him or walking in the street,” said Moneim. Meanwhile, in statements to ONtv, Nusseir said that the niqab is un-Islamic. “The niqab is not an Islamic duty…How did Islam impose the niqab if Muslims are asked in the Quran to lower their gaze?” said Nusseir during the interview. In a separate interview with Gulf News, Nusseir said that the niqab is a cultural phenomenon that predates Islam. “When Islam came, it did not impose the niqab. Islam enjoins decent dressing,” said…
