Several Egyptian universities would follow in the footsteps of Cairo University to ban their female academic staff from wearing the niqab.
The Ain Shams University announced on Monday that it would ban the niqab on its campuses. The decision includes the entire female academic staff, in addition to the medical staff and nurses who attend the university to teach classes and to lecture.
The decision was taken “based on a recent court ruling by Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court and following reports presented by managers of the university’s teaching hospitals and deans of faculties who claimed they frequently received complaints from students against having to deal with fully veiled female members of staff or workers at the university,” Ain Shams University President Mahmoud al-Metiny said in a statement.
He stressed that the decision was also made to ensure the rights of patients, and for the best interest of university work.
Metiny said anyone breaching the decision would be liable to legal action.
Last week, the Supreme Administrative Court backed a decision introduced in 2015 by a previous head of Cairo University to ban female academic staff from wearing the niqab. The ruling was final and could be subject to appeal.
President of Helwan University Dr. Majid Najm also announced a similar decision that is expected to be approved during a university council meeting next week.
