An update on this story. The court decided to uphold the constitution, despite pressure to ignore it in favor of Sharia (which sure seems to be happening in a lot of places lately). Not that this will stop Islamist legislators from harping on the issue in the future.
"Court rules hijab optional for MPs," by James Calderwood for The National, October 29:
KUWAIT CITY // Kuwait's female MPs will not be forced to wear a hijab or have their parliamentary membership invalidated after the Constitutional Court, the country's highest legal authority, rejected a case by a Kuwaiti man who said they broke rules relating to Islamic dress.
The man, identified as Hamad al Nashi, urged the court to cancel the membership of the two female MPs - Aseel al Awadhi and Rola Dashti - who did not wear the hijab, thereby violating an article of the election law that states: "A condition for women to vote and be elected is to abide by the rules and terms of Sharia law".
Islamists say the Sharia clearly states that women must wear the hijab.
In its ruling, the court said the article of the election law was not specific and therefore could be interpreted in different ways. It said Sharia could apply to many things, including beliefs, morals and actions, and comes from many sources such as the Quran, the Sunna, and other traditions and customs.
That was the point: To use the lack of limitations on Sharia's scope to keep women legislators in line, or force them out of office.
If the court had ruled that the women were in violation of the election law when they were elected, their membership in parliament could have been cancelled, legal experts said. "I'm very happy it's been rejected," Ms al Awadhi, one of Kuwait's four female MPs, said after receiving the news of the court's decision. "So we're not going to wear the hijab in the Majlis," Ms al Awadhi said, using the first word of Majlis al Umma, the Arabic name for Kuwait's national assembly....
a start, small, but hopefully it will grow
Is it safe to assume that the hijab is optional, but the chastity belt required?
How many men will apply for the position of: Chastity Belt Verification Inspector?
Jew Lover
however, i won't count on it
This is good news. One would like to think that it's a precedent that will be used by other women parliamentarians if they so choose. But somehow I doubt if this is the end of the story. It will be interesting to see now whether there are any untoward things happen to this brave women when she is outside public view or within the protective confines of the Majlis, such as when she is home, or out in the streets. How long before we read another story about some misunderstander of Islam who, citing the appropriate passage from the Qur'an, Shariah, or Sunna as justification, takes it upon himself to rectify the judicial mistake made by the court?
"A condition for women to vote and be elected is to abide by the rules and terms of Sharia law".
The Muslims base almost everything on Sharia law...essentially a man-made law....designed to be oppressive to men, women, and children...it was written centuries ago when some Muslim men were trying to find a way to strike terror into the populace to keep the people from even thinking about thinking for themselves...it was designed to oppress people...to control them....to mandate their every thought...to help keep them essentually as slaves...and it has worked...the Muslims under Shar'ia law are essentually....slaves...
Eastview,
Good point. As is so typical in the Islamic realm, occasional displays of tolerance in jurisprudence are often met by the violence of the mob or vigilante. This is why Victor Davis Hanson - a man I otherwise admire - is so entirely wrong when he defines a totalitarian society solely from the framework of GOVERNMENT policy.
The West's biggest hope is that all Muslim countries grow up and chuck Sharia forever, like Emmanuel Todd claimed would happen once there was universal literacy and birth control.
I guess we don't have much hope.
http://go.to/islamhistory
Sharia law is unfair to muslimahs? Wonder how Islamic apologists will spin this?
Cornelius - you observed: "As is so typical in the Islamic realm, occasional displays of tolerance in jurisprudence are often met by the violence of the mob or vigilante." Correct. This point is made very clearly by Nonie Darwish in the second half of her book on Sharia, 'Cruel and Usual Punishment'.
Muslim males are the most pathetic of all creatures; macho, tough, virlile studs who are so terrified of women they beat them, rape them, imprison them, cover them in shrouds, enslave them, trade them like livestock, and objectify them. Hatred and fear of women permeates islam's canonical texts and is passed along from father to son, generation after generation. No wonder so many holy warriors are sniveling cowards who just want a free ticket to islam's fictional paradise so they can rape celestial virgins.
These women are very brave to even run for office and literally risk their lives by not wearing hijabs. Some deranged muslim sicko will eventually murder them for being "unislamic".