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| Europe | |
| Muslim imams say burka not obligatory in Islam | |
| 2009-06-25 | |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Days after President Nicolas Sarkozy slammed the burka, or face veil, as "not welcome" in France, Islamic scholars said the burka was not obligatory in Islam and said every state had a right to ban the face veil. The burka debate has been raging for a while in Europe with countries like the Netherlands banning it in universities and the British press reporting that Muslims and non-Muslims alike are calling for a ban on the face covering attire. As for the Islamic reaction Egypt's Grand Imam, Sheikh Mohammad Tantawi, said the face veil was not compulsory in Islam and said every head of state had the right to accept or prohibit it.
Tantawi added that women who wear the burka have to abide by the rules of the country they live in, especially because it is not an obligation in Islam. "The traditional headscarf [hijab] is what is obligatory. This means covering the entire body except the face and hands and wearing clothes that are neither tight nor transparent," he said. In a parliament session, Sarkozy supported French lawmakers' request that an inquiry be held to determine if the face veil undermines French secularism or women rights. "We cannot accept to have in our country women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, deprived of identity," he said. "That is not the idea that the French republic has of women's dignity." | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 The Quranic passage in Sura 24 (al-núr, "The Light"), verse 31, reads in Arabic "wa-l-yaDribna bi-KHumuri-hinna ɛalâ juyûbi-hinna", and is traditionally translated as saying that women "should draw their veils over their bosoms" (Yusufali interpretation).[1] It has been interpreted as command for women to cover themselves, and is used in support of hijab. In Luxenberg's Syro-Aramaic reading, the verse instead commands women to "snap their belts around their waists." Luxenberg argues that this is a much more plausible reading than the Arabic one. The belt was a sign of chastity in the Christian world. Also, Jesus puts on an apron before he washes the disciples feet at the last supper Read the whole book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Syro-Aramaic_Reading_of_the_Koran |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2009-06-25 19:19 |
| #4 Muslim imams say burka not obligatory in Islam Good thing they weren't Presbyterian Imams... |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2009-06-25 16:39 |
| #3 It's not one of the Five Pillars, JohnQC. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-06-25 10:18 |
| #2 Burkas are optional but what about jihad? Is it optional or compulsory? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-06-25 09:37 |
| #1 Please read Gordon Brown even though you are scared of the muslim community! Personally i know the muslim community has high unemployment dont mix with other communities and are not wanted by the average Joe! |
| Posted by: paul2 2009-06-25 06:22 |