Jail for refusal to remove burqa in Australia

SYDNEY — Australian authorities said motorists who refused to take off face-covering veils such as the burqa when asked to do so by police could be sent to jail for up to a year.

Under the changes to laws in New South Wales state, police will be able to ask drivers to remove helmets, masks, the face-covering niqab veil and the all-body garment the burqa.

Refusal to do so would incur a fine of Aus$220 (US$228), but in the most serious cases could result in up to a year in jail and a fine of Aus$5,500.

"People will only be required to remove a face covering for as long as it takes to identify them," New South Wales state Premier Barry O'Farrell said on Friday.

[Full Article]

PURDAH PADA PANDANGAN KEBANYAKAN ULAMA

Wajip wanita muslimah memakai niqab اatau purdah adalah pendapat sebahagian para ulama. Sementara jumhur (majoriti) ulama berpendapat muka wanita tidak termasuk di dalam auratnya. Wanita yang memakai purdah berpegang dengan pendapat golongan ulama yang mewajibkannya. [Full Article]

Egyptian women behind the niqab

A cultural import from the Persian Gulf, the Niqab veil covers a woman's entire face. In a bid to curb its spread, Egyptian authorities have banned hospital staff from wearing it, after a failed attempt at a ban in universities.

France 24: Egyptian women behind the niqab - 2008-06-19

Faiza Mabchour denied French citizenship due to niqab

Faiza Mabchour from Morocco has been denied French citizenship due to her French husband want her to wear niqab. The reason given was wearing niqab is “incompatible with the essential values of the French community and, notably, the principle of equality of the sexes.”

Faiza Mabchour married to a Frenchman in 2000 and first applied for French citizenship on 2004. Her application was denied 2005 and she appeal to the Council of State with the reason of religious freedom.

News Update:
French applaud decision to deny woman citizenship over veil - GlobeandMail.Com (2008-07-16)
PARIS — Politicians, feminists and some Muslim leaders here are applauding a court decision to deny citizenship to a Muslim woman from Morocco whose French husband requires her to completely cover her face and body.

Mother dressed in 'burka' denied French citizenship - TimesOnline (2008-07-17)
A Muslim member of the French Government has attacked the head-to-toe Islamic dress as a prison, applauding a court decision to deny citizenship to a Moroccan woman who wore it.

France denies citizenship to veiled Muslim woman - The Huffington Post (2008-07-16)
On June 27, France's highest administrative body, the Council of State, ruled that the woman, identified only as Faiza X, had "adopted a radical practice of her religion incompatible with the essential values of the French community, notably with the principle of equality of the sexes, and therefore she does not fulfill the conditions of assimilation" listed in the country's Civil Code as a requirement for gaining French citizenship.


A Muslim woman too orthodox for France - International Herald Tribune (2008-07-18)
"I would never have imagined that they would turn me down because of what I choose to wear," Silmi said, her hazel eyes looking out of the narrow slit in her niqab, an Islamic facial veil that is among three flowing layers of turquoise, blue and black that cover her body from head to toe.

Why France can't see past the burqa - csmonitor.com (2008-07-21)
Moroccan-born Faiza Mabchour speaks French fluently, has three children born in France, and a French husband. Yet France's top administrative court last month denied her bid for citizenship. Yet no French law regulates what clothes people can wear in their homes or general public. (France bans head scarves and other conspicuous religious symbols in public schools.) So Mabchour's burqa is lawful. That France should deny her citizenship on the sole basis of her behavior within the sphere of her own family is inconsistent with normal French tolerance of the private lives of its citizens.

Man wear Niqab to attend sweetheart wedding idenfied by security guard

A in Maadi wore a niqab to attend his sweetheart wedding ceremony held in a club. However, the club's security guard can easily spotted the wearer behind the veil is a man because he is not wearing women shoes.
Full Article: Man dons Niqab to his sweetheart’s wedding - Daily News Egypt (2008-05-09)

There are many debates going on regarding niqab poses security threat to the society because the wearer can hide their identity to do something unlawful. One of the worry is man can pretend as a women by wearing niqab to do something dangerous. But from this incident, it seems that it is not easy for man to pretend as women by just donning a niqab because man usually has bigger size than women and man need to wear bigger shoes which can be identified easily.

Secrets unveiled

Many Muslim women who wear niqab in Australia do it willingly and not forced to wear the niqab by thier husbands. They are born and grow in Australia. They are Australian. Is just they now converted to Islam and want to wear niqab. They are now abused not by their Muslim husband but by Australian.

The below few quotes from Umm Zainab, an Australian who converted to Islam and wear niqab:

"As soon as you walk down the street and turn the corner, you wait for the abuse," says Umm Zainab, the woman in Woolworths. "

"You get screamed at, you get spat at. They don't even think about the children, the fear and hatred is so great. "

"I don't have to worry about any of that. People have to take you for who you are, not for your body or your beauty. You're taken for who you are."

"How's that for double standards? It's a free country. But they're abusing me for wearing something they don't like."'

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Ask men to wear veil if they like it so much

Martini Devlin has published an article titled 'If Muslim men like the veil so much, let them wear it'. Martini suggested that men also should be covered up to show gender equality to today society.
[Full Article]

While westerners always argue that Muslim women who cover up are deprived from human rights and not treated equally, but many muslim women don't think so. Muslim women are willing, happy and proud to wear the hijab.

Anyway, ask men to wear to veil is a good suggestion to let them experience the feeling of cover up. It is not an Islam teaching to ask men to be covered up, but it is good for men to experience someting they like but never try before. Women can do it, there is no reason why men cannot do it.