More veiled controversy: Two Egyptian universities restrict veiled professors


Reflecting ongoing controversy in the Middle East regarding female dress, two prominent Egyptian universities announced upcoming bans on professors teaching while wearing the face veil or niqaab. 


Yesterday, Ain Shams and Fayoum Universities in the Cairo area warned female faculty that the new measures would take effect during the current academic year. 


The Egyptian bans follow last year’s prohibitions against veiled students taking exams (and possibly using their apparel to cheat). The new measure is yet to be approved by Egypt’s University Council and the Higher Council of Universities, but is expected to take effect during the current academic year.“


Fully veiled professors are not going to be banned from working at the university--They will only not be allowed to teach," explained Ain Shams University President Dr. Maged al-Deeb. In Yemen, for example, female candidates for teaching positions at the two leading English-language institutes in Sana’a are told that full-face veils are forbidden because they are “not conducive to teaching pronunciation and listening comprehension.”Read the full story here.