NEWS MIDDLE EAST Veil dispute in Egypt grows Hosni said that the veil was a "regressive" trend in Egypt Farouq Hosni, the Egyptian minister of culture, has offered his resignation but refused to apologise for comments he made about the hijab in which he said wearing of Islamic veils was a "regressive" trend.
Hosni said that the controversy over the hijab and veil was prompted by political motives, stressing that Islam does not impose wearing of the hijab on women. He also said that it was a fashion trend and not a sign of good morals.
The minister told the Egyptian daily, al-Masri Al-Youm: "There was an age when our mothers went to university and worked without the veil. It is in that spirit that we grew up. So why this regression?"
Hosni offered his resignation after the the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest Islamic political group, called for the minister to "apologise and resign", calling his remarks insults that were directed at Islam's religious leaders.
Saudi Arabia's top Muslim cleric described the Egyptian culture minister's recent criticism of the veil as a "calamity," a Saudi satellite channel reported. Sheik Abdul-Aziz al-Shei, Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti, responded in a statement aired by Al Majd television, a religious channel, to Hosni's comments.
"It is a calamity that struck Islamic lands and contradicts the teachings of the Quran," al-Sheik said of Hosni's comments. "It is truly painful to hear such declarations from within Islamic lands, from people who are considered Muslims," he said.
The response to the Egyptian minister's remarks highlights the growing conflict between conservative Muslims and secularists in the Arab world. It is also an example of the struggle between secular governments, like Egypt, and Islamic opposition groups.
Head scarves fell out of favour among some urban Egyptian women in the 1920s and 1930s, but began reappearing in the 1970s and 1980s. The evolution has been steady with more women wearing head scarves, and more also wearing body cloaks and face veils.
Salah Zeidan, a scholar at Al-Azhar University, the Sunni Arab world's most important seat of learning, said Hosni's statements puts him "in a critical position" and "will take him down."
"This is degrading talk that does not fit a sophisticated man, especially a minister," Zeidan said.
"He should know that with these remarks he has just isolated himself from his Islamic community. He has to watch out if he walks out in the street, because any veiled woman will pour her raging fire on him," he said.
ALLAHU AKBAR KABEERA...iits happening everywhere...and we should all pray that ALLAH helps us in these trying times inshaALLAH Ameen
