EGYPT: Nurses and veils

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In a new bid to curtail Islamist influence in society, the Egyptian government is on the verge of passing legislation to prohibit nurses in public hospitals from covering their faces. The proposed law would affect nearly 10,000 nurses who wear the niqab, or face veil.

The Health Ministry considered the move after a poll showed that 90% of patients disapproved of nurses who covered their faces. Officials also contend that the niqab stands as an obstacle to interaction between patient and nurse. The decision has reignited the debate over whether Muslim women are obligated to cover their faces. Most scholars insist that it is not mandatory, but some hard-line clerics believe the niqab is required.

The matter is not strictly religious. The veil has long been a bone of contention between Islamists and the government of President Hosni Mubarak. There appears to be a campaign within the government targeting the face veil; the minister of religious endowments has challenged the veil in the past. The Egyptian media report that Islamist lawmakers, who occupy one-fifth of the People’s Assembly, have vowed to prevent the imposition of any restrictions on the niqab. If the legislation is passed, it will be implemented next month.

— Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo