Wednesday, October 19, 2016

British Muslim cleric tells government ‘BAN the burka’ claiming head scarf is ‘un-Islamic’


Dr Taj Hargey
GETTY
Dr Hargey claimed the tradition 'reinforces female servility and sexist patriarchy'
Dr Taj Hargey of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford put pressure on the Government to follow in the footsteps of France and Belgium, who have both outlawed face veils, at a conference about Islam.
He went on to question why Muslim women were not allowed to wear veils in the Muslim holy city of Mecca while the practice is still allowed in the UK.
He said: “Since the burka and niqab are ancient habits and not mentioned in the Koran, it is, therefore, pre-Islamic, not Koranic and ipso facto un-Muslim.
“If Muslim women are banned from covering their faces in Mecca, and cannot perform their daily prayers by hiding their identity, then why is it a requirement to do so on the streets of Britain?
Muslim women
GETTY
Muslim women have vocally defended the choice to wear veils following bans across Europe
“By doing so, it will set a firm marker in what are civilised standards for men and women in the 21st century.”
Dr Hargey, who supports a view of Islam that looks strictly at the Koran and not the Hadiths - a collections of sayings second hand sources attributed to the prophet Mohammad 200 years after his death - which he calls “man-made traditions that uphold patriarchy, intolerance, and belligerence”.
Now he believes that the government should intervene by banning the clothing, which has become a source of cultural and religious significance for Muslims across the country.
Guide
EXPRESS
A guide to different types of Islamic dress
It comes as G with the Social Democratic Party warming to some of the ideas proposed by Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière.
The Angela Merkel ally wants the Muslim headscarf outlawed in government offices, courtrooms, schools and universities.
MPs from Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrat/Christian Socialist union demanded an all out burka ban in the summer but Mr De Maizière blocked the proposal on the grounds it interfered with constitutional rights.
He said at the time: "We can not forbid everything that we reject."
Dr Hargey
GETTY
Dr Hargey supports a view of Islam that looks strictly at the Koran and not the Hadiths
Dr Hargey added: “There is no conceivable religious, cultural, or ideological reason that can justify concealment of female identity in public. 
“So it is important that all right thinking people lobby parliament to ban this outrageous tradition which only reinforces female servility and sexist patriarchy.
“There is no doubt that tolerance and truth are the hallmarks of any civilised society. 
“For this reason, all British patriots must become stewards and promoters of these sublime values that distinguish modern Britain as a beacon of stability and peace in the world.”

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