I find myself among a minority of the readers, in what regards the issue of the Hijab [headscarf] and the Niqab [veil]. I tried to count the differing views and found that of each ten letters I received about the subject, eight disagreed with me while two agreed, which means that 80 percent were in favour of the headscarf or the veil, in what forms, in other words, an absolute majority. When I wrote about this issue, I said that I am trying to avoid a religious debate, not for fear of anything, but because I can never persuade a reader of my views if he or she already has different convictions. Also, in case the reader agrees with me, then I do not need to write about a subject that we both agree upon. Thus, the letters confirmed what I had already deduced: each reader in favour of the headscarf and the veil expressed his or her opinion, while the readers who agreed with me already shared my opinion and thus were not in need of being persuaded. What bothered me, however, was that some letters were sent by readers whose names I know, and whom I have previously thought to enjoy a high degree of culture and objectivity, but who turned out to be intolerant of the other point of view, in what regards a controversy that was initially spurred by the veil, and not the headscarf. In fact, one of the letters mentioned that Shaykh al-Azhar was impolite to a poor girl whose age is no more than 14, while I believe that she is a poor girl, because she was wearing the veil inside a girls' class. I also read that the veil is a core Islamic practice, and not an innovation or tradition, that if it is not a religious duty like the headscarf, then it is at least definitely a virtue and that those who wear it will receive grace for. Also, I read: (after having agreed with me on every other point) I disagree with you on one point which is the headscarf, since it is firmly established that God has ordered it to be worn, and thus it is a commandment that must be followed. Moreover, the headscarf to him is the minimum dress code agreed upon for Muslim women, and any dispute about its legitimacy is unacceptable. This last point effectively means ending the debate before it even starts, although there are many who insist that the headscarf is a custom and not a rite, and as for the veil, it is not mentioned at all in the Holy Quran. I refuse to fault the readers, as each of them has the full right to express an opinion and even to insist upon it, in what can be a wrong opinion or a right one. What I refuse however, is an expression that was used in two letters, and which was “as proven by the consensus of the [religious] scholars”; how can a consensus ever be claimed when Al-Azhar is not part of it? Al-Azhar has been the primary reference for the Muslims for more than a thousand years, and the Shaykh of al-Azhar is more knowledgeable than any reader. Besides, the stance that the Shaykh took was once more against the veil specifically, which is an opinion that is also shared by the Mufti of Egypt and Minister of Religious Endowments there; if there was a reader who knew more than these gentlemen combined, then he is the “master” of his time, and no Fatwas can ever be issued while that reader is in our midst. The other major issue that arose in recent weeks is that of Abu Mazen and the Palestinian National Authority. Again, I found that the majority of readers are insisting that the Palestinian president is weak, and that he will compromise in what regards the core issues, while making insults that rather condemn its perpetrators, and which cannot be repeated here. Unlike the issue of the headscarf and the veil, the above debate will be clearly resolved: either Abu Mazen will concede or he will make a stand, and we shall know what his stance will be in the upcoming few weeks or months. I said in the past and repeat today that Abu Mazen will never compromise, in what pertains to the issues of Jerusalem, the borders and the refugees, and thus, I expect the readers to apologize to the president and admit their mistake, if he makes a stand, or I will apologize to them all if he makes any concessions, with the difference between me and any reader being that I know Abu Mazen. Since I differed with the readers on the two most important issues being discussed today, there is no harm in going over something that I and the readers both love, which is some Arab poetry related to the headscarf. There is a famous poem written by the Poet of the Two Countries Khalil Mutran, entitled “The killing of Bozorgmehr”, i.e. the vizier of Xusro. [...] The poem describes the scene of a crowded execution yard when a barefaced and bareheaded girl (they have no worse dishonour than their women undressing [...]) surprises the people. The poem then ends with a magnificent verse: the beautiful woman would not have born her face, had there been [real] men amongst the crowd. The veil mentioned above is for the Persians and not the Muslims. As for the Arabs before Islam, every high school student will remember the poem by Al Nabigha Al Dhubiyani [...] about the undressed wife of Al-Nu'man Bin Al-Munzir. Here, Al Nabigha talks about the headscarf in the days of the Christian Ghassanid kings who have adopted it following the scandalous incident of the nude woman which he described in his poem. It is then a custom, and not a religious duty, with all due respect to every different opinion. [email protected]
