Today, Monday, the Supreme Administrative Court in Egypt rejected the appeals calling for the cancellation of the Administrative Judicial Court ruling in support of the President of Cairo University’s decision to ban wearing the veil on members of the university’s teaching staff.
Today's ruling is issued from the highest authority for administrative appeals, and thus is considered final and not subject to appeal.
In a report, the State Commissioners' Commission recommended that the veil be banned because it "affects the educational process and the speed of reception between the student and the teaching member."
In January 2016, the Administrative Court decided to uphold the decision of the President of Cairo University at the time. Jaber Nassar ban on wearing the veil on female faculty members.
In April 2015, Nassar decided to prohibit women from wearing faculty members from wearing veils while giving lectures to public university students, which at the time sparked controversy on campus, the media, and the religious community.
In its ruling, the court said, "The freedom of the individual to choose his clothes falls within the personal freedom guaranteed by the constitution. The ordinary individual does not adhere to any restrictions imposed on him by the administration and he is allowed to wear whatever he likes, but this freedom is not absolute, but he must exercise it within the limits of respecting Public morals".
Freedom may carry restrictions
The rationale indicated that "if the general employee is to have the freedom to choose the costume he wears during his work provided that the uniform has adequate respect for the dignity of the job, however this freedom may carry restrictions stipulated in laws, regulations, administrative decisions, administrative custom or traditions of the job, For example, officers and officers of the armed forces are obligated to wear the uniforms specified by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
The court added, "The law regulating universities and its executive regulations did not include a text that obliges members, faculty, and other assisting teachers to wear a special uniform. However, article 96 of the law regulating universities obliged them to adhere to university traditions, and then they have to wear clothes that respect university traditions and that a member is obligated The teaching staff wore the university robe over his clothes during the lectures.
The court followed the merits of its ruling, "and the fact that some members of the teaching staff wear the veil during the lectures does not achieve direct contact with him in violation of the law."