A leaflet banning veiled women from entering the Qur'anic schools raises controversy in Tunisia

Tunisia-Amal Hilali

A publication issued by the Tunisian League for the Holy Quran, a coalition of more than six hundred Quranic societies, which prohibits veiled women from entering the Quranic schools, sparked a wave of controversy. Whereas, human rights organizations and representatives in Parliament described the decision contained in the publication without being constitutional.

Sheikh Muhammad Mishfer issued, in his capacity as president of the Quranic League, a few days ago, a written publication addressed to all the heads of its branches, during which he invited them to implement a government decree issued by the Presidency of the Republic since July 2019, related to preventing veiled women from entering governmental institutions and establishments.

In July 2019, the head of the caretaker government, Yusef Al-Shahed, signed a government decree banning everyone without a face from entering the headquarters of public administrations and institutions, following two terrorist operations in the capital.

Explanatory statement
The Koranic Association published on its official page on Facebook a clarifying statement, following the controversy that accompanied the decision of the President of the Quranic Association, during which it clarified its reliance on the government issued the publication "when necessary and as required by the interest."

She pointed out that this publication does not have a mandatory nature, and was drafted at the request of some of the regional branches of the Association, which she said was experiencing various pressures.

On the other hand, the association called on women and women who go to it to attend to the need to adhere to identity and avoid anything that would violate the regulations and laws in force in Tunisia.

The president of the association, Sheikh Muhammad Mishfer, rushed to publish a pictorial speech, during which he defended the options of the association, stressing that the domestication of the Presidency of the Government's circular prohibiting veiled women from entering public institutions was taken following consultations with the rest of the association.

He explained that he had never been against the veil and veil or "the so-called niqab", but added, "We are against everyone who wants to strike the Tunisian identity, and we have not prevented any woman in Tunisia from sticking to her traditional clothing, such as safari and al-Ajjar, for example."

In this regard, Ahmad Al-Badawi, head of the “Dar Al-Qur’an” association - one of the associations affiliated with the National Association of the Holy Qur’an - affirmed in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net their keenness to implement what was stated in the association’s publication, pointing out that the new school goers are willing to memorize or memorize the Qur’an. They will be obliged to remove the veil.

Al-Jazeera Net has communicated with more than one Quranic association that falls under the association, confirming that it has begun to implement the circular prohibiting women from entering veiled schools to memorizing the Qur'an.

Violate the constitution
And human rights organizations expressed their rejection of what was stated in the text of the publication of the National Association of the Holy Qur’an, and described it as unconstitutional or legal, where the head of the Observatory of Rights and Freedoms in Tunisia, “Anwar Awlad Ali” confirmed to Al-Jazeera Net that they lodged an appeal with the judicial authorities against the Prime Minister’s publication for violating the freedom of conscience and belief that stipulated It has the constitution.

He considered that the domestication of the head of the Quranic Association, Sheikh Muhammad Mishfer, by an ordinance circulated to public institutions and institutions, is another violation of the law, given that the association is not a government institution but rather a coalition of associations not covered by this government publication, according to his discretion.

Ali did not rule out that the head of the Qur'anic association through this post should be banning the niqab, personally, as an attempt by him to approach certain political parties at a time when the country is living in the throes of difficult formation to form a government.

At the end of his speech, he denounced the attempt of some parties to drag the country into the square of ideological conflicts, and to cause discord within Tunisian society in all its intellectual and cultural orientations.

In turn, the MP for the "Dignity Coalition", Muhammad Al-Afas, in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, confirmed his readiness to defend any veiled women who are prevented from entering any school for memorizing the Qur'an, criticizing the decision of the Quranic Association, which he described as unconstitutional.

The association’s decision to implement the government circular on banning veiled women from entering public institutions also sparked controversy among pioneers and activists of social networking between supporters and opponents.