this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2023
288 points (99.3% liked)

World News

38980 readers
2758 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

The Egyptian government has announced a ban on the wearing of the face-covering niqab in schools from the beginning of the next term on 30 September.

Education Minister Reda Hegazy made the announcement on Monday, adding that students would still have the right to choose whether to wear a headscarf, but insisted it must not cover their faces.

He also said that the child's guardian should be aware of their choice, and that it must have been made without any outside pressure.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Will this receive the same amount of outrage as the similar news from France?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

France has banned Hijabs and Abaya robes in schools not just Niqabs. Egypt is preventing people from hiding their face in school, France is doing a lot more. I don't think it's directly comparable considering the Niqab bans at least have a safety component. Whos safer because school kids cant wear head scarfs?

[–] Alterforlett 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Devils advocate here: isn't the reasoning behind the hijab bans that it's sexist, not a safety issue?

[–] archiotterpup 24 points 1 year ago

Not really. It's a secular issue. France bans all religious displays in schools.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yeah, that's what I mean there's no aspect of safety there. I don't think it's less sexist to legislate that no girls or women in schools can wear them them than it is to choose to wear one though. And if we just assume it's sexist anyway, who is it hurting? It seems like over reach to use sexism as the reason to ban something that only effects the person who choses to do it. Does France ban any other sexist clothing, or just the ones muslim women wear? That may be a good insight into their decision making.

[–] Alterforlett 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I agree in most cases. However it is an issue when it's no longer a choice.

Anecdotal, but a church/cult where I grew up and went to school, forbid women and girls to wear anything but skirts. Now a lot of them maybe preferred skirts over pants, but it was never their choice.

Gotta say I'm on the fence on this one. Women should be allowed to wear whatever the hell they want, but it is a problem when a garment is occasionally forced on only them. I have no good solution

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

In France I imagine it's a choice more often than not, but if its an issue when it's no longer a choice, then a blanket ban on them in school poses the exact same problem as now many women who want to, no longer can or they face legal punishment. This ban likely applies to teachers too who are clearly old enough to make their own decisions.

[–] Alterforlett 2 points 1 year ago

Hope you're right. Nice chat :)

[–] snek 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, but would it have helped to ban skirts?

I think there are a handful of solutions, none of them include a ban. Give women more autonomy over their lives, spread awareness, give help to those stuck in a shitty household forced to wear a niqab or hijab, get schools to actively discuss this choice of garment with parents and the child of it is problematic, allow girls to speak up without fear in schools, etc.

Stuff like this will cause gradual change (that is already happening). It may not be a big flashy bang like the news of a ban, but it's actual gradual change.

[–] Alterforlett 2 points 1 year ago

Oh I absolutely agree. I have no idea how to give women more autonomy when they are stuck in these repressive households.

What you're speaking of is how it should be, how to get there is not easy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Hijab and niqab aren't the same. The latter completely covers the entire face other than eyes. Hijab is just the scarf.

I think they were saying that the niqab ban could be justified for safety reasons, while you can't really do that for hijab.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

My initial reaction is the same as to the recent abaya ban in France. Opposition. I'll need to read more about it though, because I think the motivations and outcomes will be different.

[–] snek 2 points 1 year ago

I recently learned that this ban on France doesn't really including everything. Small crosses are okay. Some Turbans are okay. Jewish kids can go to Jewish schools. At least that's what the wikipedia page said. I found the one about the cross interesting.

[–] Hazdaz 1 points 1 year ago

I was looking for that exact same thing.

Something tells me this news from Egypt will get a lot less press even though it probably is even more Important.