Morocco changes religious syllabus

"Why do Muslim women have to cover their heads?" This question is one which is asked by Muslim and non-Muslim alike. For many women it is the truest test of being a Muslim.

The answer to the question is very simple - Muslim women wear Hijah because Allah (SWT) has told them to do so. It is a sign of devotion and modesty.

"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them ..." (Qur'an 33:59)

Morocco announced recently making radical changes to religious education syllabus, in particular regarding whether Muslim girls should wear headscarves, BBC reported Friday.

The move is a sign of the Islamic country’s submission to persistent U.S. pressures to persuade Islamic states change religious education syllabus claiming that such changes would help contain the spread of so-called radical views and limit the increase of so-called terrorism.

Among the changes the Moroccan government made, was removing a picture of a mother and her daughter wearing Hijab, the Islamic headscarf, from the latest editions of a text book.

Also a verse from the Qur’an where it asks Muslim girls to wear the Hijab has been taken out of the books.

Abdelkarim El Houichre from the Association of Teachers of Islamic Education expressed doubts about the government's motives:

"I think there is pressure coming from the United States, which believes that teaching about traditional Islam and teaching girls to wear headscarves will somehow encourage extremism and terrorism," he said.

"But I think Islamic education has to be kept within mainstream teaching in our schools because that way we can control it. If we deny it to them in school then they will only go and find out more outside of school and they are more likely to fall into the wrong hands."

The context of hijab is the modest covering of a Muslim woman.

In public places, Muslim women and young ladies, those who reached puberty, must cover the entire body except what has been specifically excluded, based upon the following proofs: Allah says:

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts from sin and not show of their adornment except only that which is apparent, and draw their head covers over their necks and bosoms and not reveal their adornment except to And that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And 0 you Believers! Turn you all together towards Allah in repentances that you may be successful." (24:31)

Also Allah says:

"0 Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their outer garments above themselves ( when they go out). That is better so that they may be recognized and not molested. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (33:59)

A Muslim woman’s dress should be thick and opaque so as not to display skin colour and the shape of her body. It shouldn’t be delicate or transparent.

For more and complete information on the Hijaab, look under "Islam - Hijaab" on our website http://islam.worldofislam.info