News
Monday, July 26, 2010
Saudi clerics say women in France exempted from veilRIYADH: Two Saudi clerics have declared that Muslim women are exempt from burqa or niqab in France, which is planning to ban them, but added they should avoid visiting it as tourists.
The comments by Islamic jurisprudence scholar Mohamed al-Nujaimi and author and cleric Ayed al-Garni come two weeks after French lawmakers passed a bill under which women could be fined for appearing in public with the burqa or the niqab.
“For a woman who permanently resides in France or is a French citizen, if there is harm in wearing the veil ... it is permitted that she shows her face when need and necessity demand it,” Nujaimi said in remarks published by al-Watan newspaper.
Muslim scholars are divided over the veil, disagreeing on whether and how much of a woman’s face should be covered. Saudi clerics widely recommend it.
Tourism to Western countries like France, while not forbidden, should be avoided in favour of Muslim countries where veils are allowed, the clerics said.
“Tourism in a non-Muslim country is not indispensable, it is not needed, it is however allowed ... but we have a lot of touristic regions in our country and there are a lot of Muslim countries that do not ban the niqab,” Nujaimi said. reuters
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk