A leading Islamic scholar has advised Muslim women not to wear the hijab head scarf to protect themselves from attack in the wake of the London bombings.
Professor Zaki Badawi, head of the Muslim College in London and chairman of the Council of Mosques and Imams, wrote, "In the present tense situation, with the rise of attacks on Muslims, we advise Muslim women who fear being attacked physically or verbally to remove their hijab so as not to be identified by those who are hostile to Muslims."
"Dress is meant to protect from harm, not to invite it," he added.
On Tuesday, British police released figures suggesting religious hate attacks had risen 600 percent since the July 7 bombings. However, officers cautioned that the increase could be largely due to a change in the way hate crimes are recorded.
However his ruling, issued Wednesday, provoked criticism from some Muslim groups.
Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, told the Guardian newspaper, "It is not Muslim women who need to change their behavior, it is those thugs and the far right who may target them who need to change."
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
