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Name
frstrated
-
Profession
Question
Assalamu alykum..
Why are we not hearing of Muslims taking the streets in demonstrations? Why isn't there a FUSS about this? We've heard more in the news from Catholics opposing this move, but not as much from Muslim figureheads in France.
Answer
Bismallah Errahman Al Rahim,
We can say that Muslims didn't express their point of view obviously about the law which will ban hijab, but the majority of Islamic organizations and the French Council of Islam expressed differently through tracts and personal positions and all this didn't turn into demonstrations.
After the demonstration of 21 December 2003, which was an initiative taken by some pupils; we can observe that Islamic organizations began to move. Next 17 January, another demonstration will take place, on behalf of many Islamic organizations; mostly the French Islamic Party and we intend other movements in the future in opposition to the law.
On the other hand, there is no FUSS about it because there are two sides representing the Islamic community in France: one side defending the religious identity, and another which defends the non-religious identity.
And it goes with the interest of the Islamic community if we make near such each side in order to claim the application of the first chapter of the French constitution which stipulates that every citizen, despite of his origin, race, and religion, has the right of equality above justice.
And it is, here, the most important problem of Muslims' agenda for the religious, and the non-religious people.
Name
Safawi
-
Profession
Question
I'm worry that other countries will slowly follow the footsteps of France in banning it. All muslims throughout the world should be together so that there is strength in our voice. How can it be possible when muslims are so disintegrated?
Answer
I don't think that France will be a model concerning the respect of one's religion for the rest of the world.
France secularism is particular so that it doesn't admit that the State has an official religion. The second chapter of secularism law of 1905 stipulated the neutrality of the state toward all the religions.
But, it's false to consider that the secularism in France is against religion. It's an imported concept from the secularism experience in some Islamic countries, just like Turkey with Ataturk and Tunisia with Bourguiba.
The problem, now, is that the law project concerning hijab will restore the tutor of the State on the religions, because it gives the State the legitimate right to control the religions facts and to evaluate its fashion with the republic principles and especially the secularism.
Since the French Revolution in 1789, the republic hadn't succeeded in making laws concerning the unbiased of the state toward religions, and mostly the church institution only in 1905. From 1801, date of the signature of the contract between Napoleon and POP which stipulated the Catholicism is the religion of the majority of french people, the french State started to impose tutor on Catholicism by naming the cardinals and all the officials of the church and making a hand on the Catholicism trainee..
So, the Catholicism, since that date, until the secularism law of 1905, on a double tutor: the tutor of the state and of the church institution.
And this risk may happen, now, through the question of hijab. The problem of hijab doesn't concerning only the Muslims but all the religions. That's why, since the beginning of this problem, all the Christian institutions and the Jewish ones expressed their opposition to the intervention of the State within religion affairs. So, we have to make one's hand with the whole of the religions in order to impose to the State to respect freedom of worship and it's unbiased toward all the religions.
Name
Momina
- Norway
Profession
Question
Al salamu aleikum,
If we have these problems in non-Muslim countries, is it then obligatory (fard) to live in an Islamic country? Does that really exist? Can you send 50,000 Muslims out of France in one day? What can we struggle for? Is it a utopia with the dream of an Islamic state?
Answer
The image of hijab has been linked with Islamism more than Islam through the entire world, at many ranks. The struggle of France, now, is with this image and not with hijab principle in itself. Hijab, in the conscience of extremist secularism tendencies, reflects the return of the religious power and the return to abusing of women rights. It's true that this is not proofed but it's a real islamophobia that we have to face seriously.
We do not have to forget the dramatic history of France between the power of the State and the church institution one. So, we should clear the spiritual dimension of Hijab as an expression of the adoration and a religious witness, because hijab image, now, is perceived especially, through the Muslim association engagement.
Concerning the phobia of returning to the religious authority, we have to eliminate it by putting out the islamization speech of the French society through the conversion or through pretending that we are the majority within French society. The Islamic speech needs to ensure the French conscience that the Muslims and Islam want to be a part of the citizenship with equality above justice without any intention of making an Islamic state or the application of Shari' a to the whole of the French people.
I ask for widening the thinking about Islamic citizenship in non-Muslim spaces as an alternative of Fiqh of Muslims immigrated minorities or pretending Islam as majority.
Name
ΣεΗγ
- France
Profession
ΨΘνΘΙ
Question
I think it is too easy to make the Muslims engaged with marginal issues and reactionaries rather than dealing with their problematic issues, inside and outside the Muslim World, to the extent of colonialzing their lands .It's better not to fall into that trap!
Answer
It's true that hijab mustn't be the priority of the Islam in France or to for Muslims in general. First, because the most important struggle is the recognition of the worship freedom: practice, education, work…
However, abusing of the right of wearing hijab needs a reaction but within the strategy of recognition of Islam in general.
I think that Muslims were put into the problem of hijab to isolate them and to marginalize their integration process.
It's not a hazard that the problem of hijab has appeared at the moment of the recognition of Muslim institution. That's why we have to be aware about our priorities and agenda before engaging a struggle.
Name
Nayeefa
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Profession
Question
I have just read through Mohammed Sayed Tantawi's (Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar mosque in Egypt) stance on the Muslim women's responsibility in the crisis of banning of the hijab in France and I strongly disagreed with his view.
My question is about the ruling of the "darourat": How far and under what circumstances can it be applicable, for example, for a permission of a lesser hijab in certain non-Muslim countries, etc? What happens when scholars, mufti, sheikhs and clerics are divided concerning Shari opinions ( ijtihad) in certain issues?
Can't the Muslim Ummah agree on one single standard fatwa regarding controversial issues?
Jazak Allahu Khairan,
Thank you indeed for your time and patience.
Answer
The Aulam'a (Scholars) of Al ummah are not divided concerning the religious obligation of hijab, including Tantawi.
The problem of Tantawi is that he intervened within Islamic France affairs by declaring the refusal of the intervention.
I think that is in the dues of the Aulam'a (Scholars) from outside France to limit their interventions by suggestions and not by fatwas, because it's necessary for fatwas to be at the place where fatwas is diffused and in the case of France we need to reinforce the autonomy of the French Muslims Scholars and muftis and to be aware that the challenge of French secularism is complicated and needs more analysis than fatwas.
Name
Abbas
- Germany
Profession
Worker
Question
Dear Dr. El-Mestiri,
when we discuss with Europeans on the issue of veil, they ask why women in some Islamic countries are not allowed to go out without Islamic dress. My question: is it Islamic when a islamic country forbids its female citizens to go out without Islamic dress, I mean without hijaab?
Jazaakallah khairan
Answer
In Islamic history, the veiled women and the non-veiled ones co-lived. It's not the mission of the State to impose the Islamic dress. It's a question of education and respect of freedom to be veiled or not. We need today to make a common struggle between veiled and non-veiled women for the respect of the whole of the Muslim community in the European sphere.
Editor:
This session is not dedicated to Fatwas. You can re-submit your question to our Fatwa service.
Name
Mamdouh
- Egypt
Profession
Question
How do you see time of raising such issue "hijab" in France particularly in the context of continuing Muslims sufferings everywhere, especially Palestine & Iraq?
Answer
The question of the respect of hijab needs to be linked with the respect of the Ummah existence in the global system. If we don't frame the question of hijab in this context, we risk of being absent, or opposing our Ummah's interest.
The position of Muslim community in the West needs to be conceived as a witness of the whole of the Ummah; not necessary the Ummah of believers but the Ummah of humanity.
So, we need to show the universality of our values and practice related to Islam.
Name
noureddine
- Belgium
Profession
helpdesk
Question
Salaam,
We were shocked to hear Sheikh Tantawi say that France has the right to ban hijab, which means to someone living in the west that France has the right to ban Islam.
I feel sad and like my French brothers stabbed in the back .I take this rather personal as I know that it starts in France and it will be applied throughout the European Union.
How should we feel towards Sheikh Tantawi's?! .
Thank you in advance
Answer
I have given my point of view about this issue, yet.
Name
redzuan
- Singapore
Profession
student
Question
From your perpective, what are the implications the statements of Syaikh Al-Azhar regarding the hijab issue in France? How far does it tamper the efforts in opposing the proposed hijab ban?
Answer
By consulting Al Azhar, French government made a big mistake. That's to say that France asked for a special version of Islam to France refusing tutors from Islamic countries. So, there is confusion.
We need to explain to the French public opinion that we don't have a central religious authority comparing to the Christian area, and the autonomy of the Islamic status needs to be separated from any national or dogmatic influence.
On the other hand, I don't think that if we engage a real process of debate about this issue, we will have any impact or influence from outside.
Name
Ismail
- South Africa
Profession
Lawyer
Question
Dear Sir,
I have recently undertaken an in-depth study of Islam and believe (based on my existing knowledge) that God Almighty's words in the Holy Quran were never meant to be applicable to a situation where a Muslim lives in a European non-Islamic country and practices his religion there. Surely Islam can only be practiced to its perfection in an Islamic country only. Western Muslims are thus "watered down" Muslims. Do you agree?
Answer
I don't think so. Islam needs to be practiced as witness of the divine values without any consideration of countries or cultures. All the earth of God is pure. This is the concept of Islamic citizenship that we need to consider in our experience in the West.
Islamic practice is necessarily different in Muslim states and non-Muslim ones.That's why we need to develop a rehabilitation of our Islamic identity form, for example, the history of Islam in the first immigration to Abyssinia (habasha) experience and our ability to add new "ijtihad" of fiqh of citizen minority.
Name
Safawi
-
Profession
Question
Hijab is according to islamic law, of course. I worry that other countries will slowly follow the footsteps of France in banning it. All muslims throughout the world should be together so that there is strength in our voice. How can it be possible when muslims are so disintegrated?
Answer
We need to accept that muslims could be and have the wright to be different.
Hijab is a religious prescription but this belief is not concieved at the same rank and degree. So, we need to widden the internal dialogue between muslims so that we can reinforce the vision of the muslims in the West. We can wait for unificating the visions but we can agree with unificatingthe strategic visions for muslims in the West.
The unique interest for muslims believers or less believers is defending the wright of the existence of the islamic culture in the West.
