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.

Call to ban council staff from wearing the burka

Coun Allen Clegg has demanded staff be stopped from wearing the religious Muslim dress because "it intimidates people."

He likened the niqab – the face veil – and the burka, the garment that cloaks the entire body, often including the face, to outfits worn by the Ku Klux Klan.

He told the Courier: "Council workers are often facing the public and I don't think the public feels comfortable or safe facing someone they essentially cannot see.
[Full Story]

Face veil widely accepted in the UAE

Shaikha Ahmad, a 26-year-old housewife from the UAE, says her face veil does not restrict her from being an active part of society in the UAE. She has a degree in Arabic and Islamic studies. "I took up the niqab at 18 out of choice.

"People who judge the face veil hardly ever see it from the perspective of those who wear it,"

[Full Story]

Cherie 'lacks awareness of Islamic culture'

Mona Al Merri, Chairperson of the Board of Directors at the Dubai Women's Establishment, said that although she did not believe the face veil to be religiously obligatory, she said it was a personal choice for women, which is not restrictive. "A woman's face is not forbidden to be shown. The niqab was imposed because of traditions and extremist fatwas," she said.

Statements made by Cherie Blair about the face veil were made out of lack of awareness of Islamic culture but responsibility to protect Islam's image rests on Muslims, said prominent Emirati women.
[Full Story]

Read More:
Cherie Blair: my doubts about the Muslim veil - Telegraph.co.uk (2007-11-02)
Cherie Blair has questioned whether the full-face veil restricted Muslim women from being "people in their own right". The wife of the former Prime Minister said full veils, such as the niqab or burqa, could prevent a woman from expressing her personality.

Niqab is allowed in British school if headteacher say OK

The Government has pulled back from an outright ban on Muslim pupils being able to wear veils in the classroom.

They have issued guidelines saying that headteachers “may be justified” in outlawing religious clothes that cover children’s faces.

Source: Daily Star

Suicide bombing in Pakistan kills 15

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A burqa-clad woman blew herself up and killed at least 15 people Monday at a crowded police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, police said. It was believed to be the first time a female suicide bomber has struck inside the country.
[Read More]

Ban niqab and burqa

Wearing niqab or burqa in public places has created a lot of controversy in western countries. The following are the news on banning niqab or burqa in public places.

Feds want Muslim headwear banned from airports
THE Federal Government believes wearing Islamic scarves should be banned at Australian airports, senior government sources have revealed. Under the radical security proposal, even the most inoffensive Muslim scarf, the hijab, which covers a woman's hair and neck, would be banned, along with several other types.