HIJAB WAS COMMON But Burka & Niqab Issue Was Created To Malign Islam And Promote Islamophobia

Burka & Niqab Issue

It Was Created To

Malign Islam And

Promote Islamophobia

Hijab Was Never A Problem

In Europe Or America Till

Saudi/Salafi/Daesh Group Made

It Controversial And

Confused It With Burka/Niqab

(M. Javed Naseem)

“And order the Muslim women to lower down

their gaze a little and guard their chastity and show

not their adornment but as much which is itself

apparent, and remain putting their head-coverings

over their bosoms. And disclose not their adornment

but to their husbands, or to their fathers, or …..”

(al-Quran 24:31)

Recently, the British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson was fired because he was creating problems for Prime Minister Theresa May, on different fronts. One of these fronts was the Muslim front as he has been saying things about Islam and Muslims that constitute prejudice, racism or discrimination. A few days ago, he wrote an article in a British newspaper referring to Muslim women with Burka and Niqab as walking “Letter Boxes”. He further said that those women looked like “bank robbers” (who normally cover their heads and faces to disguise). We always see that in the films or on TV. It was funny but people didn’t enjoy the humor in it.

Many social groups and activists protested against those remarks, including Muslim groups in Britain and other countries. Some have demanded an apology from Johnson because he, as they maintain, being in the high government position, should not have uttered those words.

But now we see the reaction from a British Muslim organization which is quite the opposite what most people would have expected. That organization is MECO – Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford, UK. Their opinion is that the former UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson should not apologize "for telling the truth" in his comments on wearing face-concealing and full-body veils in public.

 

"Although this deliberate identity-concealing contraption is banned at the Kaaba in Mecca it is permitted in Britain, thus precipitating security risks, accelerating vitamin-D deficiency, endorsing gender-inequality and inhibiting community cohesion," Dr. Taj Hargey, the imam at the Oxford Islamic Congregation, added.

Mr. Johnson has faced fierce backlash after he said Muslim head veils were 'oppressive' for women and said it is "absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes."

"The burka and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Koranic and therefore un-Muslim," Dr. Hargey wrote in a letter to The Times. 

The imam also said the ex-FM Johnson "did not go far enough" in his column, which sparked controversy, and calls for him to apologize for saying veiled women looked like "bank robbers."

Dr. Taj Hargey is the Director of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford (MECO),"a diverse group of forward-looking Muslim academics, entrepreneurs, professionals, retirees, students and other Oxford residents."

In 2015, following the ruling by the French Parliamentary Commission, MECO took the lead in pioneering an anti-Burqa and Niqab Initiative (ABNI).

"British Muslims must distinguish between religion and culture by recognizing that face covering is a tribal cultural habit that is in fact explicitly prohibited during the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj). If it is forbidden at Islam's holiest mosque, then why is it fine elsewhere?" MECO said at the time.

The organization has also argued that many Muslims "have been misled by propaganda from the Wahhabi-Salafi-Deobandi-Tabligh Jamati and Jamati Islami sects that the burqa/niqab is integral to Islam." MECO then called on Britain to follow France and Belgium in upholding a ban on public face-masking.

A Wednesday poll revealed that more than half — 59% of respondents — supported banning the wearing of the burqa in public places, while 48% said that Boris Johnson should not ask pardon for his comments.

(Courtesy: https://sputniknews.com/europe/201808091067067581-british-imam-burqa-johnson/)

MECO is absolutely right about one thing at least and that is Wahhabi-Salafi-Deobandi-Tablighi Jamati and Daesh group’s misleading propaganda on Hijab. They are confusing general public, especially foreigners and non-Muslims, about Hijab. Hijab is neither Burka nor Niqab. Hijab in the modern Arabic connotation is meant simply the Head-scarf or headcovering. In the centuries-old Arabic, Hijab did mean a veil or a partition or separation – but they were NOT the dressing of a woman. Burka and Niqab are the women’s  dressing, and are two different things. But Saudi-Salafi-Daesh group is forcing people to accept it as ‘Hijab’ thus creating confusion.

Please note that Muslims women are NOT allowed to wear Burka, Niqab, facial veil or hand-gloves during the performance of Hajj or Umrah. It is prohibited in the Masjid-e-Haram, Makkah. But they are required to cover their heads and chest, and wear a modest clean dress.

In the Arabic Quran, Allah has used the word “Khumur” which is the plural of “Khimar” and ‘Khimar’ means “head-covering” or head-scarf.

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلاَ

يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ

وَلاَ يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ

“And order the Muslim women to lower down

their gaze a little and guard their chastity and show

not their adornment but as much which is itself

apparent, and remain putting their head-coverings

over their bosoms. And disclose not their adornment

but to their husbands, or to their fathers, or …..”

(al-Quran 24:31)

I would like to remind people here of the terrorist Mullah of Pakistan’s Lal Masjid (the Red Mosque) police encounter, who was responsible for killing dozens of innocent Muslims, and was caught fleeing wearing a Burka, disguised as a woman! What a man! And he still has his fans and admirers among the ignorant masses.

European countries had started banning Burka and Niqab because those two versions of Hijab concealed the identity of the person. These days, security is a big issue everywhere and people are stopped and their identity checked even in their own countries. Since Burka and Niqab hide the identity of the person (also what he/she is carrying), it makes sense for the police and security personnel to demand people to remove it. Since some organizations are abusing or misusing the concept of Hijab (Taliban, Daesh, ISIS, Salafi, Wahhabi, etc.) and are not ready to accept the authorities’ logic, the authorities have to pass the law to enforce the ruling.

And so the controversy continues.

I have been living in Europe and America since 1969. There was absolutely no problem with Islam or Muslims or with Hijab. No problems in the 1970s, or the 1980s, or the 1990s. It all started after the bloody drama of 9/11 in 2001, when the Arabs who had worked for the FBI or CIA; or the Arabs who had police records with FBI, were “found” guilty of the terrorist attack of 9/11. Later on, similar people were found in different European countries involved in explosions or terrorist activities. None of them was ever presented in an open court of justice for trial. They were either shot dead on the scene or after, or taken prisoners at a secret location. Nobody knew their fate – or everybody could imagine what would have happened to them. People were given only the government version of the events to believe.

Muslims living in the West, especially in European countries, should realize the seriousness of the problem. Islamophobia is being promoted and encouraged by the biased Zionist media and the ultra-right politicians. Therefore, Muslims should try not to give these elements any excuse to persecute them or violate civil rights of Muslims. What is a genuine demand, should be accepted. Face-covering should not be allowed to anybody. If it is not allowed to Muslims, it should also not be allowed to Ku Klux Klan either. It’s for the robbers and thieves!

On the other hand, head-scarf or head-covering (Hijab) should not be a problem anywhere; and should not be banned. Even the Bible testifies that women are required to cover their heads.

“For if a woman does not cover her head, let her

also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful

for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head

shaved, let her cover her head.”

(1-Corinthians 11:6)

Hopefully, the sanity will prevail.

Here’s the complete text of MECO Imam’s letter to The Times:

The Editor, The Times, London.

Dear Sir,

Under no circumstances should Boris Johnson apologize for telling the truth. While his usage of evocative analogy is unfortunate, the former Foreign Secretary is justified in reminding everyone that the Wahhabi / Salafi-inspired fad of female facial masking has no Qur’anic legitimacy. It is, however, a nefarious component of a trendy gateway theology for religious extremism and militant Islam in the UK.

The burka and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Qur’anic and therefore un-Muslim. Moreover, although this deliberate identity-concealing contraption is banned at Islam’s holiest mosque in Mecca, it is permitted in Britain to precipitate security risks, accelerate vitamin D deficiencies, while endorsing gender-inequality (men prohibited from masking) and inhibiting effective community cohesion.

The retrogressive Islamic clergy has succeeded in conditioning ill-informed Muslims through suspect secondary sources that God wants women to cover their faces, when in reality it is a toxic patriarchy controlling women. Through this cunning propaganda is it any wonder that many younger women have internalised this poisonous chauvinism by asserting that it is their human right to hide their faces? Of course, everyone has the prerogative to wear what they wish, but no one has inalienable rights to public anonymity. Should burka/niqab-clad females argue that it is their personal whim or ethnic culture to do so, that can be easily refuted. But they invariably claim that Islam mandates female masking, when this is fabricated. Repeating any lie ad infinitum does not make it true, irrespective of what populist Muslim apologists and politicians might say.

It is regrettable that Boris Johnson did not go far enough. If Britain is to become a fully integrated society, then it is incumbent that all cultural practices, personal preferences and communal customs that aggravate social division should be firmly resisted. For this reason alone, Britain must emulate France, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, etc in banning the burka. This egregious symbol only boosts Muslim segregation and fanaticism while jeopardising social solidarity and common values. So, let’s bite the bullet and proscribe this foreign-imported fashion that is incompatible both with Islam’s sacred scripture and British traditions.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. T. Hargey, Imam, Oxford Islamic Congregation.

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