"Is this your civilization that believes in the right of man to believe – and wear - what he or she so desires," said Qaradawi

CAIRO, December 20 (IslamOnline.net) – Hijab is definitely established as obligatory dress code in the Islamic shariaa not a symbol such as cross or the Jewish Kippa, Islamic scholars averred in reaction to French President Jacques Chirac’s support for a legislation banning religious symbols in public schools.

"Islam orders female adherents to wear hijab as an obligatory religious clothing, unlike crucifixes in Christianity and Kippa in Judaism," Egypt’s Mufti Ali Gomaa said in press statements Friday, December 19.

In a televised speech two days earlier, Chirac said religious insignia, particularly the hijab, the Kippa and a cross that is of plainly excessive dimensions, "have no place in the precincts of state schools."

Prominent moderate scholar Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi refuted the classification asserting: "It is a common mistake to call hijab a religious sign, as it could not strike the mind of hijab-clad women to wear it for declaring their religious beliefs."

He asserted that unlike the cross and Kippa, the hijab has a religious function, namely "to cover the Muslim woman’s hair, neck, throat and the upper part of her chest."   

‘Executable’

Qaradawi also lambasted Chirac for misunderstanding the significance of wearing hijab for Muslim women as an "executable" word of God.

"It is an order from God to wear hijab, not a choice for women to do it or not," said the prominent scholar.

He branded a hijab ban as a violation of personal and religious freedom, the same two unique principles the West usually brags about.

"Is this your civilization that believes in the right of man to believe in – and wear - what he or she so desires," Sheikh Qaradawi said with a mixed tone of anger and skepticism.

Extremist Secularism  

The prominent scholar asserted that the French ban on hijab testifies to the spread of "extremist" secularism.

"It is the same kind of hard-line secularism that we had seen in Marxism with their such slogans as ‘Religion is the Opium of the People’," he maintained.

The highly-articulate Qaradawi expressed fears that the ban would lead up to more religious restrictions – be it at various levels – on the Muslim minority in France.

"We fear that similar questions would be raised; why do Muslims have mosques to pray in? Why do they abandon food and drinks in Ramadan? Why don’t they drink or smoke?" Qaradawi cautioned.

He also warned that the French decision could create enmity between the West and Muslims, numbering more than two billion all over the world.

The prominent scholar encouraged Muslims to send letters of protest to Chirac, though admitting that tangible stiff opposition could not be expected from leaders of Muslim countries given keenness on their interests with France.

French Education Minister Luc Ferry said a bill introducing the ban would be put before the National Assembly in February and should come into effect by September. 

As both Chirac's governing conservative party, the UMP, and the opposition Socialists are in favor of a law, reports said it is unlikely to fail.