I refuse to sign this petition, the niqab is not Islamic.

I will not sign a petition that perpetuates the cultural remnants of jahiliyya purdah which lies outside the realm of Islam.

The Prophet explicitly stated that women should show their hands and face, I will not support bidah disguised as "female modesty" and liberation.

Do the Chinese insist on foot binding?

Do the Hindus insist on widows throwing themselves on their husband’s funeral pyle?

Does it seem that only Muslims seem resistant to modernity and change.

Cultures evolve and change, they have to maintain a dynamic character to thrive, when a culture and religion becomes set against change, this will lead to decline.

It always amazes me when folks on the margins want to limit the civil rights of other people on the margins.

I understand Gust’s sentiment but I think supporting women’s “choice” to cover (to whatever degree people have a choice to do anything sans coersion) trumps any finess of the law. (i.e. we want to prohibit you from covering for your own good so that one day you can cover if you want to uncoerced). Laws are much more cumbersome than that.

In short:

The petition gives women the opportunity to choose niqab or not.

GuM’s stance against it limit’s women’s ability to choose with the assumption that they don’t really have a choice anyway, so they’ll just continue to be oppressed.

I’d rather work two fronts: give people the choice and work to make sure people are in positions to in fact choose.

I think you can support the petition AND worked towards updating the cultures to Western standards (to loosely paraphrase GustMust) as much as you want along side. Though obviously there’s some eerieness to that…

Silvers . . .

I am not oppressing no one, I just simply object to the principle of the niqab.

However, some women do choose this form of veiling, and I reluctantly respect their decision. To say it does not bother me would be dishonest.

After considering this petition and addressing my concerns to Nakia, I will sign it.

I’ll tell you why I am for this, and it has little to do about whether Islamic law says something or not.

The fact remains that there are some in the community who DO believe it is mandatory- and in terms of religious freedom, it DOES become their right to wear it if they so choose. It’s not about whether I myself agree on its fiqui status in Islamic law, it is about being able to practise as a person believes. That in itself should be enough reason to me, at least.

However, no biggie. If you don’t agree with the statement, then don’t sign. No one will twist your arm about it (unless you ask them to ;)

I’l even go further. Even if someone didn’t believe it was wajib or fard and still wanted to wear it, then I say go for it, too. Of course, there are political machinations at work right now concerning the whole niqab debate in Europe, the implication that banning a face covering will somehow play a part in lessening violence commited by some in the community. I say bs to that, it’s a very easy symbol, and women are the easiest targets. Of course, the hilarity must ensue by the mere fact that whether one is trying to control women’s dress either to so-call “liberate them” or “protect them” (think Jack Straw as well as a certain Australian mufti), in the end, it is a primary example of the desire to control women through either secular legislation or religious fatwa. Either way, I’m against both.

Hope that explains my own point of view on this issue :)

Gustavo, ehhhh it says, “We the undersigned women…” I think that means other than us ;-)

- A Salafi in worship, a Sufi in society, a Secularist in government.

Omar, men can and have signed the petition; you are not off the hook. Get to signin’.

Signed. However, as a purely religious (non-civil) matter, I reserve the right to refute Baraka’s next article on nudism :-P What is this, 1967?

“I reserve the right to refute Baraka’s next article on nudism”

I can’t imagine why someone would want to do that.

<

• Login or register to post comments

<

• Login or register to post comments

Itchy's good too. (Or Scratchy) 

I thought "Haute Couture" was too obvious and I did not want to give away next Fall's premier modeling show, when Tyra Banks announces she's converted to Islam and hosts "America's Top Muslim."

rofl

It is a muslim’s duty to adhere to his/her religion and protect this religion from misinterpretation.it should be clear that one can never be a muslim as long as he/she violates the rules and obligations contained in this religion.so if you believe that you want to put on a bikini or anything else of such kind and claim that you are a muslim,you are tainting islam.A muslim lady’s attires are known.Islam is defined and anything outside this defination is nullified always.