BySCEME
Tunisian universities should let their doors be open to everyone.
This article deals with the crucial issue of where education and religion interface.
Tensions between secularists and Islamists are rising daily in Tunisia.
The niqab was banned from the country under the previous regime and headscarf was not allowed in public spaces, including universities.
According to some, the niqab prevents the process of conveying the academic message and neither professors nor students are able to communicate properly when the niqab is involved.
However, female students should be allowed to attend class wearing their clothing choices.
Tunisia has the highest female literacy rate in North Africa and women make up 61 percent of students. If universities in Tunisia prohibit women from wearing the niqab, they will lose a chance at education. And keeping women who wear the niqab on the border of the society will only extend the gap between secularists and Islamists.
The Tunisian revolution was meant to move the country forward, not backward. You cannot build a democracy by using violence to impose your views. A democracy should be based on the range of perceptions.
It is up to people to leave their stereotypes aside and try to establish communication with women wearing niqabs.
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