Friday, January 22, 2010

Egypt's High Administrative Court Overturns Ban On Niqab In University Exams

World Bulletin reports that on Wednesday, Egypt's High Administrative Court overturned a ban imposed by the Minister of Higher Education on female students wearing the full-face niqab in university examinations. The court said:
Freedom to wear the niqab is guaranteed by human rights and constitutional liberties, and a girl's right to dress the way she sees fit in accordance with her beliefs and her social environment is a firm right that cannot be violated.
The court added, however, that a student must show her face when asked to do so for security reasons. The decision reverses one handed down by a Cairo court earlier this month. (See prior posting.)