24 October 2013

Libya's Grand Mufti: Teachers Must Veil

Last week the country’s Grand Mufti, Libya’s top religious authority, issued a fatwa directing women teachers at schools and universities to veil themselves when instructing boys who have reached puberty or are even approaching it.

The ruling by Sheikh Sadik Al-Ghariani generated social media criticism from activists but not the public outcry it would likely have triggered just a year ago.

After a series of reversals and public humiliations, including women’s meetings being disrupted and male lawmakers complaining about the presence of women at events, many activists have backed off. [The Daily Beast] Read more