An interesting item in today Arab News: in certain parts of Saudi Arabia, schools are now forcing pre-pubescent girls to dress in a full black cloak, covering not just their hair, but their hands and faces.
Despite the fact that in even the most draconian interpretation of Islamic code, female children are not required to cover themselves in such a way, certain Saudi schools are strictly enforcing the new rules.
MUSHAYT: When an eight- or ten-year-old girl is told that she should cover her entire body from head to toe " as an adult woman is supposed to do " then immediately the child TMs mother asks why.
This is exactly what is happening in the southern province of Asir where school regulations stipulate that pre-pubescent girls should dress in such a way that no part of their body, including head and face, is visible.
A child who dares to violate the new dress code faces severe punishment, including a public scolding and deductions from her marks.
This has put parents in a real dilemma. Though Islam has strict dress regulations for women, they are only applied after girls reach puberty.
Umm Abrar, whose daughter is in Grade 4 at a primary school, went out shopping for a small abaya that would meet the school specifications. The scarf in her school should be worn in such a way that neither her face nor her hair is visible, allowing only her eyes to be seen.
œUntil last year, the head scarf for little girls did not mean covering heads and faces. Only girls who had reached puberty needed to cover their faces. But this year the school ordered all girls to cover both heads and faces, Umm Abrar said. Girls submit to the regulations only under threat of punishment and therefore when they are outside school grounds they remove the covering, she added. out the full article Filed under: Islam
November 13th, 2008 10:49 pm ET
As a muslim who grew up in Egypt and now lives in Europe I find the whole interpretation of muslim law by the saudi muftis a disgrace to all what I hold dear about my religion. I remember the very devout teacher in Cairo who once told us : it is your choice, because Islam makes you as a person responsible for your actions and nobody can take this responsibiliy from you.
If I go without a veil, it is my decision,maybe my mistake, and at the end I will be held responsible. Better to make a choice than to CURSE every time you are FORCED to put on a Hijab. from:http://Bruidsmeisjes.zoekvinden.nl
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