http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=OTA1OTI3NTg3
Islamists let down by verdict Published Date: October 29, 2009 By Nawara Fattahova and Nisreen Zahreddine, Staff writers KUWAIT: Islamists were disappointed yesterday with the decision of the Constitutional Court to reject a petition that challenged the candidacy of two female MPs - Aseel Al-Awadhi and Rola Dashti - for failing to wear hijabs. "I didn't read the verdict and its explanation. So I think that the petition was refused because of its form and not the subject matter," MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei told Kuwait Times. "The main subject violates candidacy conditions which spell out the duty of wearing the Islamic outfit. The Fatwa and Legislation Department explained that the Islamic outfit is hijab (headscarf). Some female MPs refused to comply with this condition, and I think the petitioners will appeal against it," he said. Islamists are still adamant on their stance. "We all respect the court, but the election law has been laid out in clear terms," said former MP Hussain Al-Quweian. "It is better that female MPs respect Islamic rules, according to which they were elected. It is very sad that the constitutional court has rejected the petition. We know that the fatwa is not obligatory from a legal point of view. However, from an official point of view, the hijab is a part of the official rules that should be respected," he added. The infuriated Islamists have no intention of relenting. "I'm sure that those who submitted the petition will file it again. The first time we were not allowed to present our case at the Court. So, the next time, we will present the complete evidence to the constitutional committees and refer the parliamentary question to the constitutional court. The issue will not end here," vowed MP Mohammed Hayef. The night before the decision was announced, Al-Awadhi interacted with voters of the third constituency. "If the constitutional court decides to impose the condition according to which female MPs are compelled to wear the hijab, I will abide by the order and wear the hijab to the parliament. However, I will remove it as soon as I leave the parliament's premises. I find this hypocritical. The court order was well-received among women activists and female MPs. Dashti described it as "another victory for Kuwaiti women." She added that the four female MPs "are here to stay and the court's ruling confirms that the country is being ruled by the constitution. It protects MPs' civil liberties." When asked to comment on Islamists' reaction, Dashti said that the only thing that can be done is to propose an amendment of the election law that mandates female candidates should wear hijabs. Ebtihal Al-Khatib, a political activist and English literature professor at Kuwait University, expressed joy on the court's decision, and urged all sides to respect the court's pronouncement. "This order is a victory for freedom of speech, opinion and beliefs in Kuwait. The parliament does not represent a religion or religious behavior," she said. "It represents the Kuwaiti people collectively along with their beliefs." She added that Islamist movements had been propagating their agenda for 30 years, but no order that transgresses the constitution has been passed so far. "So far so good," Al-Khatib summed up. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
