Say No To a Ban and Overturn any Ban on the Niqab and Islamic Veils/Headcoverings

Niqab is the Arabic word for any type of facial veil worn by Muslim women around the world as an outward manifestation of their belief in the Qur’anic commandments of modesty and chastity. In recent years there has been an explosion of regional and global movements dedicated to establishing and enforcing legal restrictions on overt symbols of religious beliefs, most notably Islamic headcoverings and face veils.

Secular movements in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries have been working tirelessly to deprive Muslim women of their basic and fundamental human right of religious freedom. In an effort to demonize the religion of Islam, governments around the world have attempted to transform the proud symbol of Islamic modesty, the headcovering and veil, into a spectre of oppression and degradation. Under the guise of national security, health, safety and women’s rights, these various movements have instead targeted a religion that is at its very heart one of peace and equality.

Any governmental ban or law restricting a citizen’s right to practice their religion clearly transgresses Article 18 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees religious freedom for all citizens of the world. Said Article states in relevant part:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

In complete contravention of this Article, governments of countries around the world as diverse as France and Turkey, continue to actively sponsor and support ferocious campaigns to ban the wearing of the Niqab and Islamic headcoverings in schools, public buildings and government offices. Unfortunately, many Muslim organizations have chosen to ally themselves with adversaries of Islam and have begun to distance themselves from the commandments of Islam to gain favour with the secular governments. Many of these Muslim organizations have publicly relegated the Niqab to the position of cultural practice and not a Qur’anic commandment. Unfortunately, when the Niqab is only considered a cultural practice and not a religious one, it becomes that much easier for the government to ban it as unnecessary in a modern society. It is only when the Niqab is recognized as a religious practice that the government is pressured to discard the bans under Article 18 and other international human rights documents. The simple truth is that the Niqab is part of the Islamic commandments of modesty and chastity, and although women in pre-Islamic societies did observe the veil, Islam was the only religion to require it of women as an expression of faith and piety.

Islam transformed the wearing of the veil from a luxury of the rich and privileged upper class women to an outward expression of the innate value and worth all women, regardless of social status. Additionally, the concept of “Urf which permits Muslims to engage in pre-Islamic cultural practices that are not specifically prohibited by the Holy Qur’an or Sunnah is recognized in all interpretations of Shariah law, therefore, the Niqab and other forms of veils would become an institution within mainstream Islamic religious practice.