Syria has recently banned the full black Islamic veil (niqab) in all its schools, to students and teachers alike.
All universities were also asked to forbid niqab-wearing women from registering. The hijab or headscarf is however still accepted and continue to be quite common in the secular Syrian Arab Republic.
It is interesting to note that in the last century, Egypt has witnessed an increasing number of women embracing the niqab. So much, that many voices in Egypt are sounding the alarms at this foreign invasion that is not part of the local culture, especially the famous activist Nawal El Saadawi.
Jordan and Lebanon also seem to be witnessing a similar trend, although at a much lower rate.
Turkey has also previously banned not just the niqab but also any type of Muslim headscarves in its universities, considered as a breach of modern Turkeys secular laws.
Europe has mostly made up its mind, describing headscarves and niqabs as degrading to women; France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands are in the process of banning it altogether.
Others call all this a blatant hypocrisy, with western governments and human rights groups not acknowledging that women are being deprived of their rights, work, and education just because they chose to exercise their free will and right to wear the niqab/hijab. They add that such bans violate freedom of religion and personal choices, as well as stigmatize all Muslims.
What about you, what do you think about all this??????