Cairo: An Egyptian court on Wednesday revoked a ban imposed by another court earlier this month on female students taking examinations at governmental universities while wearing the niqab (a full-face veil).
Region | Egypt
Egypt court revokes ban on niqab at exam halls
The ban is in force at Egypt's governmental universities
- By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent
- Published: 20:54 January 20, 2010
- Image Credit: Supplied
- The full-face veil is increasingly popular in predominantly Muslim Egypt.
The Higher Administrative Court said in its ruling that the students have the right to don the niqab inside the examinations halls.
The ruling is the latest in a series of pro-and anti-niqab rulings passed by local courts recently in response to lawsuits filed by students and Islamists.
The ban was originally ordered by Minister of Higher Education Hani Hilal, who attributed it for security reasons.
He had said in earlier remarks that the full veil is abused by some girls to replace others inside the examination halls. The ban is in force at Egypt's governmental universities.
Last October Hilal enraged Islamists and some human rights groups when he barred students wearing the niqab from staying at the low-cost university hostels. The ban triggered a series of protests. However, the niqab is allowed on the campus.
The full-face veil is increasingly popular in this predominantly Muslim country though the Sheikh of Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, declared that the attire is not an Islamic duty.
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