Self-appointed preachers jump on the bandwagon

Author:
Source: The Egyptian Gazette
Date: 2009-04-25

Female self-appointed preachers have invaded the women-only cars of the Cairo underground metro advising the Muslim passengers to wear the hijab (a headscarf), or the niqab (a full face veil).Sometimes these preachers, who introduce themselves as "sisters who are interested in the well-being of their Muslim sisters", give female passengers free CDs of a lecture by a Sheikh, who stresses the virtues of donning the veil, or the niqab.Moreover, they give themselves the right to lecture the women on how to be a good Muslim, or how to pray, and the importance of cutting short any talk or friendship with non-Muslims, according to bothered commuters."

These self-appointed metro preachers take the liberty to lecture us about all aspects of Islam - prayer, fasting, 'zakat' (charity), pilgrimage and the 'shehada' (declaration of faith)," said Fathia, a commerce student.These women, who offer religious advice to strangers but have no formal training, always focus their attention on unveiled passengers, or university students wearing tight clothes.One of these CDs is about an actress, who tells her own story of adopting the veil as a means of rejecting secular public life while she was at the peak of her fame. In this CD, she regretted her previous works and the time she spent without wearing the veil. A university student from Cairo called Raniya, who wears the niqab, said that she and her friends had made copies of these CDs at their home to distribute them freely among the metro passengers."It is a sort of charity that I want to give to women so that they know the basic principles of their religion," she explained.

Moreover, the self-appointed preachers hang stickers on the metro doors and windows to remind the female passengers of manners Muslim women should have, such as honesty, kindness and patience.The stickers read: "The Path to God begins with the Hijab". During the times of regional crises, like the recent Israeli onslaught on the the Gaza Strip, the stickers called on the Muslim women to support the Palestinians and collect donations for Gazans.

But, it is feared that these self-appointed preachers would replace moderate Islam, which the majority of Egyptians adhere to, with an extreme version fuelled by an economic crisis that has hit the country.These women preach extreme Islamic values in terms that relate to life in the 21st century in fire-and-brimstone sermons, say critics.Preaching, activities need training and professionals who know the religion, they add.

Egypt, a predominantly Muslim country, has recently experienced an upsurge of Islamism reflecting in having the vast majority of Muslim women appearing in public donning the hijab or the niqab."But, it is not acceptable for anyone to appoint herself as a preacher on the metro and order women to follow her."

____________________________
Please feel free to comment and please do not forget to visit our sponsours.
Follow Twitter: Foreignnews