Full Face Veil Banned in Egyptian Universities

A woman wearing a full face Niqab on the streets. Syria has banned the wearing of full face veils in its universities. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Egyptian minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research has issued an unofficial decree banning full face niqab veils on Egypt’s University campuses this fall, according to the Egypt Daily News. This the latest in Egypt’s ongoing debate over the niqab in universities. Higher Education Minister Hany Helal, said, “Every female student has the right to wear the niqab outside the university campus but will not be allowed to do so on campus,” according to the report. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), said the ban “violates the constitutional protections of equality, religious freedom, and personal liberty.” The announcement comes a week after secular Syria moved to ban the niqab from its public and private universities, after also disallowing grade school teachers from wearing the niqab.