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December 29, 2005
Tunisia: Minister Declares Muslim Headscarf Incompatible With National Traditions
In news from Associated Press, via Boston.com, the Tucson Citizen and Nasdaq News, the Tunisian religious affairs minister has criticised the custom of women wearing the hijab, or Muslim headscarf, claiming it does not form part of Tunisia's North African heritage.
In a newspaper interview, Aboubaker Akhzouri said his government rejects Muslim tunics like those worn in Persian Gulf states, and also the habit of growing excessively long beards, a trait associated with Islamic fundamentalists.
The hijab was officially banned from public offices and schools in Tunisia in 1981. This has led to some independent groups complaining that civil rights have been abused. The headscarf ruling is not strictly enforced, apparently.
He denied that more women were wearing the hijab, saying "the phenomenon is in decline...progressively fading away."
Tunisia has a population of 10 million people, the majority of whom are Muslim. It is considered an ally of the West and its government supports gender equality, with 54% of the country's university students being female.
Keywords: Burka, burqa, hijab, hidjab
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 29, 2005 1:08 PM
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