Hijab is not a religious symbol like the cross and the Jewish Kippa, said Goma

By Sobhi Mujahid, IOL Staff 

Egypt's Fatwa House asserted in a new fatwa, a copy of which was obtained by IslamOmline.net Sunday, December 21, that hijab is an obligation on Muslim women wherever they are and not a religious symbol.

The fatwa came in response to French President Jacques Chirac’s support for a legislation banning hijab in state-run schools under the pretext that it is a religious symbol like the Jewish skullcap and the cross.

Egypt's Mufti Ali Goma said hijab is an obligation on all Muslim consenting female adults, as firmly established in the Holy Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad’s hadiths as well as unanimously agreed upon by Muslim scholars.

He cited the noble Qur'anic verse, which reads: "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful."

In press statements on Friday, December 20, Goma said Islam orders consenting female adults to wear hijab as an obligatory religious clothing, unlike the cross in Christianity and Kippa in Judaism.

Prominent scholar Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi had also refuted the planned French ban 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."  

More Condemnations

Meanwhile, the Union of Islamic Organizations in Europe denounced the French decision.

In a statement, a copy of which was faxed to IslamOnline.net, it said asserted that Muslims throughout Europe do respect the laws of their respective countries but regard the French ban as a blatant infringement on their right to freedom of religion.

It made clear that the planned law would coerce Muslim women into disobeying the rules of their religion, which is by no means acceptable.

The missive said Muslims in Europe do not want to be forced to choose between violating rules of Islam or integrating into the European community.

The union ruled out any contradiction whatsoever between Islam and integration, noting that the real problem lies with those who misinterpret secularism as a restriction on religious freedoms and obstacle to plurality.

The statement urged all religious communities, Islamic and human rights organizations in Europe to stand up firmly to the French anti-hijab drive, which violates a human right enshrined in relevant European laws and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It warned that forcing Muslim women to remove their hijabs would make them feel discriminated against.

The statement also called on Chirac and the French government to heed the serious consequences of the planned ban.

The Union's chairman, Ahmad al-Rawi, said Saturday the French move was evidence that France had misinterpreted secularism and tailored it for its own requirements in a sharp contrast to the situation in other secular European countries, notably Britain.

The planned legislation has drawn a barrage of Muslim criticism worldwide, with British Muslims saying such laws are only issued by "authoritarian governments and not liberal democracies".