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| Africa North |
| Algerian passport photo changes trouble Islamic groups |
| 2010-04-14 |
| [Maghrebia] Any woman seeking a new biometric passport in Algeria must remove her hijab for the official photograph, Algeria's interior ministry confirmed last week. "The government will not back down on its decision; veiled women are expected to observe this law," Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni announced at a press conference on Thursday (April 8th). "Any woman who does not submit to the rules imposed by the International Aviation Organisation must take full responsibility for her actions when she travels." Algeria introduced the new biometric passports, designed to heighten security and close the security loopholes of traditional passports, on April 6th. Islamic groups are mobilising protests against the requirement. Four groups -- the Council of Algerian Ulemas, Al-Nahda, the Society Movement of Peace (MSP) and El Islah -- gathered in Algiers on April 7th to plan protest activities. "This campaign will rely on the support of political figures and associations and religious leaders to distance itself from the interior ministry's stance and repeal the law," said Al-Nahda general-secretary Fateh Rebaié. "We're calling on the government to respect the Muslim religion, the appeal of 1 November and the Constitution, which clearly stipulates that Islam is the state religion," said MSP president Bouguerra Soltani. He expressed "surprise" at statements "from certain officials on the subject of the need to remove one's veil or shave off one's beard in order to obtain biometric passports and identity cards". El Islah leaders released a statement the same day denouncing the minister's attitude, saying that he had tried "to defend the indefensible". The statement called on the Religious Affairs minister to "defend the Muslim woman's Khimar (headscarf) rather than putting down all those who are devoted to their religion". Religious Affairs Minister Bouabdellah Ghlamallah stood behind the government ruling. "If the law obliges a woman to have a photograph taken in which her features must be visible for the biometric passport, then she must comply," he told journalists at an April 4th press conference. "But the law gives her the choice, and so she's free to decide for herself." Women must respect the law "or go without a passport," Ghlamallah said. Religious affairs ministry advisor Adda Fellahi said that his department had nothing to do with the ruling and is not in a position to "contradict a state institution". "Veiled women can seek advice from muftis or imams on the issue in a personal manner," he said, adding: "Algeria is obliged to comply with international security standards, which require the top of the head, chin and ears to be clearly visible." The Islamic High Council has abstained from the debate. Chairman Cheikh Bouamrane said it is not the institution's place to weigh in on a purely administrative matter which, furthermore, was imposed by international rules. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 And, of course, since the picture has a face, they would have to show one at the airport. |
| Posted by: mojo 2010-04-14 17:51 |