TUNIS: Tunisia's premier on Friday banned the niqab face covering for women in government offices, citing security concerns after attacks in the North African country.
Prime Minister Youssef Chahed signed a government circular "banning access to public administrations and institutions to anyone with their face covered... for security reasons," his office said.
The ban on the niqab, which covers the entire face apart from the eyes, comes at a time of heightened security following a June 27 double suicide bombing in Tunis that left two dead and seven wounded.
The interior minister instructed police in February 2014 to step up supervision of the wearing of the niqab as part of anti-terrorism measures, to prevent its use as a disguise or to escape justice.
Reactions to the ban were mixed in the Tunisian capital.
"They have the right to prohibit (the niqab) given the events we are currently witnessing," said Ilhem, a young Tunisian woman.
"But in the end, it remains an individual freedom," she added.
Lina questioned "why the woman must make sacrifices every time there are security measures to be taken".
The Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights urged that the measure be only temporary.
"We are for the freedom to dress (as one pleases), but today with the current situation and the terrorist threats in Tunisia and across the region we find justifications for this decision," the league's president Jamel Msallem told AFP.
He said that the ban should be repealed as soon as "a normal security situation returns in Tunisia".
The niqab and other outward shows of Islamic devotion were not tolerated under the regime of longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali but have made a comeback since he was toppled in Tunisia's 2011 revolution.
After bloody attacks in 2015 that targeted security forces and tourists, there were calls in Tunisia to re-impose the ban.
Tunisia bans niqab face covering in public institutions
Tunisia bans niqab face covering in public institutions
- The ban on the niqab comes at a time of heightened security following a June 27 double suicide bombing in Tunis
- The niqab and other outward shows of Islamic devotion were not tolerated under the regime of longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali but have made a comeback since he was toppled in Tunisia's 2011 revolution
UNICEF chief says GCC central to supporting operations across the region
DUBAI: The Gulf Cooperation Council is playing a central role in combating acute crises affecting children and displaced people across the region, says UNICEF’s Gulf Area Office director, Lana Al-Wreikat.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit on Tuesday, Wreikat said the GCC had become central to supporting refugees, hygiene and children’s health through funding and diplomatic support.
“Our work with the GCC countries when it comes to the humanitarian crisis goes beyond the refugee response,” Wreikat said.
“We are also dealing with displaced communities inside countries. We also deal with big issues and sectors like the water, sanitation, hygiene, promotion, nutrition, child protection, education. We have our core commitments for children and young people, and these translate across all these sectors. The GCC … has been a very generous donor for us.”
Wreikat revealed the UAE had just announced a $550 million donation for the UN’s 2026 global appeal, part of which goes to funding UNICEF’s operations.
She said Gulf countries had become crucial to supporting the organization diplomatically, especially in difficult situations with access difficulties.
“They also play a big role in terms of the humanitarian diplomacy and negotiations around access, where we really need to support maximum number of children,” she said.
“In terms of their priorities, what’s really high on the agenda is Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, and Syria.”
