Niqab

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Niqab attached to a headband with a nose bridge. Worn over a hijab

The niqab or nikab ( Arabic نقاب, DMG niqāb ) is a face veil worn mainly by Muslim women . This is often worn in conjunction with an abaya .

Whether women wear a niqab depends, among other things, on the respective interpretation of the Islamic term ʿ aura (German: shame ). A widely accepted among Islamic jurists ijma stating that wearing a niqab is not mandatory, but is rewarding.

Niqab with headband, over hijab and abaya

history

The niqab originally comes from the Bedouin culture on the Arabian Peninsula . Even in pre-Islamic times, cloths were used there by men and women to protect the body and face against sun, sand and insects. Ibn al-Vashshāʾ (c. 869–937), author of a book on good behavior among educated people, describes the use of Nishapur cotton as a face veil. For the Ottoman Empire , miniatures document the use of a transparent cloth that was worn over a cap or cap and partially covered the face.

Carrying method

There are numerous different ways of carrying and shapes, which can also vary from region to region. Variants are very common in which several air-permeable, loosely falling cloths are attached to a headband in such a way that a recess remains open for the eyes. This headband is knotted behind the head or otherwise connected (buttons, press studs, Velcro tape) so that it holds securely.

In some variants, another, not completely opaque cloth is attached to the headband, with which the eyes can be covered if necessary (also as dust protection or in extreme brightness) and which hangs loosely over the head and neck like a headscarf when not in use.

The headscarf or scarf can also be draped in front of the face so that the face is covered below the eyes. Men also occasionally use this variant to protect themselves from sand and sun.

distribution

The niqab is traditionally mainly used in the Arabian Peninsula. In Saudi Arabia and Yemen, for example, the vast majority of women wear a face veil. But the niqab is also worn in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and North African countries.

The black niqab with khimar in its current form is not traditional Islamic women's clothing. He did not appear until the end of the 19th century during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876–1908) in the capital Constantinople as " Çarşaf " in order to ward off Western influences, and from there he mainly settled in remote parts of the then Ottoman Empire like through Yemen. There, as in Saudi Arabia, it is still widespread, while in the capital through the revolution of 1908 (during which the sultan was overthrown) Muslim women began to take off the niqab / Çarşaf and sometimes even to dress in European fashion. Traditional Islamic women's clothing in the Ottoman Empire was nowhere near as strict before 1876 as it was after.

Hamed Abdel-Samad estimated in 2016 that there are around 200-300 women in Germany who are fully veiled.

Niqab shapes

Hijab with draping to the niqab on the right

The niqab is a thin cloth made of silk , cotton or synthetic fiber that either covers the entire face or the part of the face below the eye area. If it covers the eyes, it should not be completely opaque so that the veiled woman can still see, but her face can hardly be seen from the outside. When eating and drinking, the woman has to lift the niqab a little and bring the food to her mouth under the veil. Usually, however, niqab wearers dine in separate "family rooms", where they pull back their niqab or take it off entirely in the absence of strangers.

Simple niqab

Plain black niqab, Morocco, ca.2005

The simple niqab is a simple cloth that is extended at the top edge by a ribbon and is knotted behind the head or attached to the hijab with needles and covers the face below the eyes. Often also the neck.

Niqab with a headband

Boshiya , usually attached to a niqab underneath

This niqab is attached to the sides of a headband, leaving a long slit free for both eyes. This eye slit can be divided by a fabric web and also have a coarse or fine mesh over the eye area.

Multi-layer niqab

Niqabs with a headband, the additional boshiyas of which are folded back

Often an extension of the headband or rarely a draping of the hijab . The additional layer attached to the upper edge of the headband is slightly transparent and can thus variably hide the eye area that is still visible by stacking several layers. When not in use, these positions also serve as hijab.

Burqas , which mostly have an integrated niqab

Reason

Fundamentalist Muslims refer to passages in the Koran and its explanation from the “early sources of Islam” such as those of Ibn Kathir and at-Tabarī to justify their dress code . There they see evidence of the demands to wear the niqab for religious reasons:

"Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters and the wives of believers to pull some of their robes off (over their heads) when they leave . This is the best way to guarantee that they (as respectable women) will be recognized and not be harassed. But God is merciful and ready to forgive. "

- Sura 33 , verse 59; Translation: Rudi Paret

According to the Secretary General of the Fatwa Council, Sheikh Khaled Omran, there is no religious justification for constantly covering oneself with other people. According to his statement, the rule originally only applied to the wives of the Prophet Mohammed .

Niqab bans

Asia

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka introduced a ban on all types of face veils after the terrorist attack on Easter Sunday 2019 . The ban includes face covering that prevents identification.

Europe

Denmark

In Denmark it was decided to ban the wearing of the burqa and nikab from August 2018 .

Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights

On November 26, 2015, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that wearing a niqab or headscarf was not a human right. Anyone who works for the French state should not cover themselves up. On July 11, 2017, following a complaint by two women, the ECtHR declared a ban on full veiling in public spaces valid in Belgium and confirmed the judgment of November 26, 2015. Such a ban is "necessary for a democratic society"; the “rights and freedoms” of third parties would thus be protected. This allows women in Europe to be prohibited from wearing a face veil on the street.

France

In France , the niqab is forbidden for female and male students in the classroom and on school premises. In January 2010, a cross-party inquiry commission of the French National Assembly recommended a complete ban on veiling in public institutions. Women wearing the burqa or niqab should no longer be served in state schools, hospitals, post offices and other authorities.

At the beginning of April 2010, a driver in Nantes received a fine of 22 euros for her restricted field of vision due to the niqab . In October 2014, a niqab wearer had to leave a performance at the Paris Opera after several choir singers refused to continue singing if she did not take off the veil. Women who insist on having their face covered should also neither receive a visa for France nor be allowed to take citizenship. Men who force their wives to wear the burqa should be punishable. The socialists , PS, did not take part in the final vote in the Assemblée nationale ; The Commission's proposals were also controversial in other parties, with some MPs voting differently than the group recommended.

The ban on the niqab was passed by the National Assembly in September 2010. At that time, the Fillon II cabinet ruled under President Nicolas Sarkozy .

On July 1, 2014, the European Court of Human Rights finally confirmed the legal ban on full veils in public in France. The prohibition stipulated conditions for social coexistence; that is a legitimate goal.

Belgium

On April 29, 2010, the Belgian Chamber of Deputies approved (unanimously with two abstentions) a law prohibiting the wearing of burqas and niqabs in Belgium. The decision came into force after the Belgian Senate gave its approval. The European Court of Human Rights declared the legal ban admissible in July 2017. It guarantees the conditions for coexistence and is necessary in a democratic society.

Netherlands

The government of the Netherlands passed a ban on full veil in public in January 2012.

Italy

In Italy , due to an anti-terrorism law from the 1970s, covering up one's face in public is prohibited.

Spain

In June 2010, the Spanish Senate passed a ban on wearing niqabs and burqas in public.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, a general ban on masking has been in effect in the canton of Ticino since July 1, 2016.

On September 23, 2018, the canton of St. Gallen accepted the bill for a face covering ban. The ban stipulates that "in future, anyone who makes himself unrecognizable in public space and in publicly accessible places by covering his face and thereby threatens or endangers public safety or religious or social peace" will be punished with a fine, "as from an official one Enclosed to the voting of the canton of St. Gallen.

Austria

On June 8, 2017, the Anti-Facial Wrapping Act was passed, which forbids the concealment of facial features in public spaces. It came into force on October 1, 2017.

Islamic countries

Tunisia

In Tunisia , wearing the niqab in public places is not officially permitted and is occasionally followed up by the police.

Syria

In Syria , by July 2010, more than 1200 women wearing niqab had been dismissed from school and given office jobs because the Syrian government feared Islamist infiltration of the school system. In addition, women with face veils have not been allowed to enroll at Syrian universities since then. According to a spokesman for the Syrian Ministry of Education, this should prevent the spread of “extreme ideas and practices”. The British daily The Economist quotes the women's rights activist Bassam al-Kadi, who  clearly supported the ban - in the name of the Syrian Women's Observatory , which she heads: "The niqab is a Wahhabi way of influencing Syria and is a form of violence against women [...] . "

Citing the Syrian newspaper al-Watan, the Arab website Kazdar.com quoted the Syrian minister of culture as saying: “The removal of around 1,000 female teachers with face veils from teaching, half of whom are already retired, is an indispensable task. Because the process of learning follows a factual, secular model. This appearance [obscuring the face] does not meet the demands of the reality of the educational sector. The gestures, facial expressions, facial expressions and the communication of information to the address of the students must complement each other. "

Egypt

Since 2009, the Egyptian public has been discussing the niqab intensively. The trigger was in October 2009 a meeting of the now deceased Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar University , Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi , with a roughly twelve-year-old student in a school affiliated with al-Azhar. Tantawi asked the fully veiled student to take off the niqab, referring to his religious authority. This type of covering is a tradition and does not represent an Islamic duty for devout Muslims. Allegedly, he is also said to have said that the girl was probably wearing the niqab because of her unfavorable appearance. The latter in particular led to a scandal. In the following, full veils were banned in the facilities of al-Azhar University (Cairo), the most important university in Sunni Islam. This was followed by a wave of lawsuits and judicial back and forth. The Supreme Administrative Court has declared a fundamental ban on niqab with reference to freedom of religion as inadmissible. The numerous niqab bans in schools, universities, clubs and restaurants have not been touched.

The Egyptian government largely held back in the niqab dispute. The country's political elite are predominantly against the niqab. Niqab wearers question the religious sovereignty of the al-Azhar University, which plays an important role for Sunnis worldwide in the question of what is Islamic and what is not. In addition, the niqab largely contradicts the attitude towards life and the image of society of the political class, at least before the country's revolution : people here usually did not even wear a headscarf. Many other Egyptians also consider the niqab to be imported from the Gulf States. It is also partially rejected by strictly religious people.

The Muslim Brotherhood support full veil and emphasize freedom of religion: the niqab must be respected as an individual religious decision by the state and authorities.

The niqab is a new phenomenon in Egypt. It was almost unknown until the 1990s; he was only seen among tourists from the Arab Gulf states. It then became more widespread primarily through the women of returning migrant workers . By 2009, the number of women wearing niqab increased rapidly. The reasons are varied and not all have to do with a free choice of belief; Other factors also play a role: religious insecurity, family coercion, political protest, fashionable comfort, protection from harassment and whispering neighbors . Conversely, many women consciously decide against the niqab and even against the headscarf.

See also

literature

  • Fadwa El Guindi: Veil. Modesty, Privacy and Resistance . Berg Publishers, New York 1999, ISBN 1-85973-929-6 (English).
  • Aisha Chauki: The "Headscarf" - Oppression or Freedom?: About the Ḥiǧāb and the clothing of Muslim women . IB, Düsseldorf 2011, ISBN 978-3-941111-19-6 -

Web links

Commons : Niqab  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Niqab  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kecia Ali, Oliver Leaman: Islam: the key concepts . Routledge, New York 2008, p. 13.
  2. ↑ Strict dress code. How the veil conquered Egypt . Spiegel Online , June 29, 2008
  3. ↑ Peter Heine : fairy tales, miniatures, minarets. A cultural history of the Islamic world. Primus, Darmstadt 2011, pp. 227, 230 f.
  4. ↑ Julia Löffelholz: Apparently around 300 women in Germany wear a burqa. Where does this number actually come from? In: Die Zeit , No. 39/2016, p. 8
  5. ↑ ARD interview from September 7, 2016
  6. ↑ Sri Lanka prohibits veiling after attacks. In: Augsburger Allgemeine. Retrieved May 9, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Denmark bans the burqa and nikab in public . Welt Online , May 30, 2018
  8. ↑ Wearing a headscarf is not a human right . World online ; Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  9. ↑ The ban on veiling is legal in Belgium . Spiegel Online , July 11, 2017
  10. ↑ European Court of Human Rights: Ban veiling allowed. In: Zeit Online . July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017 .
  11. ^ Burqa and polygamy in the sights of the legislature in France . In: NZZ , April 27, 2010
  12. ↑ Veiled woman has to leave the Paris Opera. Süddeutsche Zeitung , October 20, 2014
  13. ↑ 2010 Le Monde, July 13th
  14. ↑ France's burqa ban is correct. German wave
  15. ↑ welt.de: Germany should also prohibit full veiling
  16. ^ Human Rights Court , Strasbourg allows burqa ban . FAZ.net
  17. ↑ Burka judgment: The limits of religious freedom . Spiegel Online , July 1, 2014
  18. ^ Case of SAS v. France (file number 43835/11). Quotation from the judgment: "The voluntary and systematic concealment of the face is problematic because it is quite simply incompatible with the fundamental requirements of 'living together' in French society." “The defense of public order is not confined to the preservation of tranquility, public health or safety. It also makes it possible to proscribe conduct which directly runs counter to rules that are essential to the Republican social covenant, on which our society is founded. " "The systematic concealment of the face in public places, contrary to the ideal of fraternity, also falls short of the minimum requirement of civility that is necessary for social interaction." “Moreover, this form of public confinement, even in cases where it is voluntary or accepted, clearly contravenes the principle of respect for the dignity of the person. In addition, it is not only about the dignity of the individual who is confined in this manner, but also the dignity of others who share the same public space and who are thus treated as individuals from whom one must be protected by the refusal of any exchange, even if only visual. " “Lastly, in the case of the full veil, worn only by women, this breach of the dignity of the person goes hand in hand with the public manifestation of a conspicuous denial of equality between men and women, through which that breach is constituted. ”
  19. ^ Court of Human Rights, France's burqa ban is legal Sueddeutsche.de
  20. ^ Burka ban. Zeit Online , April 29, 2010.
  21. ↑ Court confirms burqa ban in Belgium . RP-online.de
  22. ^ Government decides to ban the burqa . Mirror online
  23. ↑ Spain ready for the burqa ban . Welt Online , June 23, 2010
  24. ^ Ticino ban on veiling: veils in a shopping paradise. Neue Zürcher Zeitung , November 4, 2016, accessed on November 8, 2016 .
  25. ↑ Facial covering - Canton St. Gallen says yes to the burqa ban . In: Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) . September 22, 2018 ( srf.ch [accessed September 24, 2018]).
  26. ↑ Tunisia: International Religious Freedom Report 2007 of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (English) on the website of the US State Department state.gov; Retrieved November 17, 2010
  27. ↑ Martin Gehlen: Full veil prohibition: Low applause for Europe . In: Der Tagesspiegel , September 26, 2010, p. 6.
  28. ^ Take it off. A secular-minded government rejects excessively religious dress in school . In: Economist , July 15, 2010.
  29. ↑ Syria bans the face veil . ( Memento from September 16, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) September 2, 2010, quoted from islaminstitut.de ; accessed on September 14, 2016.
  30. ↑ Karim El-Gawhary : Egypt and the Face Veil: Niqab or Not Niqab? taz , October 13, 2009; accessed on March 6, 2017.
  31. ↑ a b c Björn Zimprich: Veiling in Egypt: "Niqab is not always put on for religious reasons" . Interview with Andreas Jacobs in Zenith , September 5, 2010; accessed on March 6, 2017.