By Ebi Kesiena
A ban on wearing face veil in Egyptian schools announced by the government this week sparked debate on social media on Tuesday, with critics condemning it.
The Education Ministry’s decision, announced in the state-run newspaper Akhbar al-Youm on Monday, applies to both state and independent schools.
It bans the niqab, an all-encompassing black garment that leaves only the eyes visible and is worn by a small minority of Egyptian women. The decision leaves optional the hijab, the headscarf worn by a much larger number of women.
The choice must be made according to the “wishes of the pupil, without pressure or coercion from any party except her legal guardian, who must be informed of the choice,” the decree said.
Critics took to social media to lambast the move, accusing the government of meddling in private matters.
“People are angry because the government gave no justification. It’s a tyrannical decision that impinges on people’s private lives,” a user going by the name Mohammed posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Supporters retorted that only an extremist minority would be affected.
“Nobody is angry except supporters of the Taliban and the Islamic State” group,” posted a user calling himself “al-Masri”.
Talk show host Ahmed Moussa, a fervent supporter of the anti-Islamist administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, welcomed a “first significant step towards the destruction of extremism”.
