Saudi Clerics Say Muslim Women In France Need Not Wear Veil

As France moves to ban the weraing of the burqa and niqab (see prior posting), Saudi Islamic jurisprudence scholar Mohamed al-Nujaimi and Saudi author and cleric Ayed al-Garni say that Muslim women living in France are exempt from the requirement to cover their face. Apparently so are tourists to France, but the clerics say that it is preferable to avoid visiting there and instead go to Muslim countries which permit the niqab. The two clerics are not members of the Saudi Senior Scholars Auhority which has not commented on France's actions. The comments come as the Louvre Museum in France, with the support of the Saudi government, has mounted a major display of Saudi artifacts. These developments were reported Friday by Reuters via Haaretz.