Govt. cannot ban face veil - IDP

24 October 2007
Report: Uken

Islamic Democratic Party IDP has said that the government cannot ban wearing of face veils.

IDP Vice President Mohamed Hassan Maniku speaking to Velidhoo News said that the government has no right to ban wearing of face veils.

“Face veils are not banned in other Islamic countries and even in countries that are not Islamic it is acceptable and as such IDP does not believe the government has the right to impose such a ban” said Mohamed Hassan Maniku.

He said that religious extremism was not a new occurrence and that extremism was the result of a planned propaganda by the government.

Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs could not send one of their Scholars with an IDP delegation visiting the atolls as the President of the Supreme Council was not in town said Hassan Maniku and added “this is indicative of the difficulties in expressing religious opinion in this country”.

Hassan Maniku further noted that in schools the students are not given proper information on Islamic religion.

IDP Vice President has said that IDP has called for a withdrawal of the government decree banning face veil.

Velidhoo News was unable to contact an official from the Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs to obtain their view on the ban.

As part of the measures President Gayoom is implementing to curb religious extremism in the country, President has instructed the Supreme Council, to first reprimand and if still persists, to take legal action against all those who dress in a manner that conceals their identity in public places.