Women in the Middle East are on the move, but in decidedly different directions, depending on where you look. In less than 40 years, Cairo has gone from a city of Western fashion to a city in which the majority of women wear the hijab, or headscarf, and even niqab, an outfit that covers the female body, face and hands. Many attribute this trend to mounting Islamic radicalism, influenced by the brand of Salafism imported from Saudi Arabia. Yet, in Saudi Arabia King Abdullah has just inaugurated a new university in which women will study alongside their male counterparts without being forced to wear the hijab.    »»» altmuslim.com

Go to article…