The Egyptian government has announced a ban on the wearing of the face-covering niqab in schools from the beginning of the next term on 30 September.

Education Minister Reda Hegazy made the announcement on Monday, adding that students would still have the right to choose whether to wear a headscarf, but insisted it must not cover their faces.

He also said that the child’s guardian should be aware of their choice, and that it must have been made without any outside pressure.

  • Quokka
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    21 year ago

    This is the beauty of the French system, it’s all religious paraphernalia banned in schools.

    • ???
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      -21 year ago

      I feel like France is whacko. Religion is a normal part of human existence. Why would I prevent children from displaying these sentiments or developing parts of their personality that have a spiritual or religious connection? What kind of jerk would I need to be? 😬

      • @[email protected]
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        31 year ago

        The problem isn’t any spiritual or religious connection the children form. The problem is that most monotheistic religions are very rigid in their exclusive prerogative of interpretation concerning all things fundamental and truth-related.

        Having more than one exclusively-dominant religion represented in any one space must lead to unsolvable conflict. Contradicting absolutes cannot tolerate each other.

        Given that a functioning state must necessarily assume the role of a sovereign, banning religion from public spaces is pretty much the only solution for preventing religious conflicts.

        • ???
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          11 year ago

          I agree with what you say about religion. However, I don’t agree that bans are useful or effective. Doesn’t seem to be “preventing religious conflicts” all that much imo.

          • @[email protected]
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            -11 year ago

            It’s not about preventing religious conflicts. It’s about not giving those conflicts a forum at school, the place where children learn to be tolerant from people who aren’t their potentially fundamentally religious parents.

            • ???
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              31 year ago

              But that was the last sentence in your previous comment.

              • @[email protected]
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                -21 year ago

                My previous sentence sets the principle, your answer rejects the principle on an all-or-nothing basis, my following comment clarifies the application of said principle within the comparatively narrow setting of schools.

                I’m not sure what’s left unclear.

                • ???
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                  31 year ago

                  Sometimes I feel like when a discussion reaches this level it’s no longer “good faith” sounding.

      • Quokka
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        1 year ago

        That’s like saying slavery is a normal part of human existence because we’ve been doing it for thousands of years.

        Why would you want children indoctrinated into a system of beliefs that reject reality? Only a jerk would want that.

        • ???
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          41 year ago

          Is it really the same? Slavery vs spirituality and following a religious path? 😬 Does it cause the same type of harm? How are these comperable?

          But yeah, I do agree that just because people have done soemthing for X years does not make it legitimate.