World Bulletin / News Desk

The Egyptian parliament is currently drawing up legislation banning women from wearing the niqab. According to the Egypt Independent, the ban will apply to wearing the clothing in public places and government institutions.

The full-face covering is worn by Muslim women and usually covers all of the wearer’s face apart from their  eyes. The clothing is common in Egypt which is a predominantly Muslim country.

MP Amna Nosseir, professor of comparative jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, who has backed the ban, said that wearing the veil is not a requirement of Islam and in fact has non-Islamic origins. She has argued that it is a Jewish tradition which appeared in the Arabian Peninsula prior to Islam and that a variety of Quran passages contradict its use. Rather, she has advocated that the Quran calls for modest clothing and covered hair, but does not require facial covering.

A number of bans have been placed on the niqab in Egypt. In February, Cairo University banned nurses and doctors from wearing it in medical schools and in teaching hospitals, arguing the ban would: "protect patients' rights and interests." In September last year, the university also banned academic staff from wearing the niqab in classrooms in response to complaints from students that it was too difficult for niqab wearers to communicate effectively with students.

source: The Independent