Press Release

The Populist "Niqab War" is a Modern Echo of European Colonialism

Used to Ignore the Genocide in Gaza and Erase the Islamic Identity of Muslim Women

(Translated)

Today's political arena is witnessing a new populist crusade by right-wing democratic parties and governments calling for a ban on the niqab, with Australia, Italy, and Portugal joining this wave. These countries are part of a wider group of hostile European countries that have already banned the niqab, with France, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland having already imposed a total ban on the niqab in all public places, while the Netherlands and Germany apply a partial ban in specific places such as educational institutions and government departments. In the United Kingdom, the debate focuses on workplaces and the workforce, with right-wing parties such as the British Reform Party claiming that the niqab hinders integration, communication, and security, describing it as a symbol of division.

This war on the niqab is not a modern phenomenon, but a new chapter in a long history of Western secular hostility towards Islam and Muslims. This deeply rooted historical hostility is being exploited as a tool to divert attention from the deep economic crisis facing Western secular societies as a result of the failure of the global capitalist model.

Right-wing parties such as Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party in Australia, Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy Party, and André Ventura's Chega Party in Portugal are exploiting the niqab as a symbol of belittling Muslim women, imposing their forced assimilation into society, and diverting public attention from the real crises resulting from state failure.

This centuries-old debate about Muslim women's dress is reminiscent of the European colonial "civilizing mission" and the clash of civilizations, but in a contemporary version aimed at a 21st-century audience exhausted by bankrupt and biased capitalist systems. It is a deliberate strategy aimed at turning real economic suffering into an artificial war against Islam and Muslims.

Also, what is known as "nationalist feminism," which is the exploitation by politicians of women's rights discourse to justify anti-Islamic policies such as the niqab ban, reproduces the colonial orientalist discourse that portrayed Islamic countries and Muslim women as backward, posing a threat, and in need of rescue.

The proposed niqab bans in Italy and Australia specifically target Muslim women, who are already the main victims of Islamophobic attacks.

In Australia, data from the Australian Islamophobia Register 2024 Annual Report shows that 75% of anti-Islamic attacks target women and girls. Similarly, data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights indicates that 65% of Muslims in Italy experience discrimination, and women are the most targeted.

Meanwhile, in Portugal, Islamophobia is escalating significantly, directly linked to the rise of the far-right Chega party led by André Ventura, who portrays Islam as a threat to Portugal's identity and the Christian West. Imposing a niqab ban in these countries would give legal legitimacy to the very prejudices that Muslim women already suffer.

Furthermore, the political hypocrisy of right-wing parties that harp on about Muslim women's clothing while their countries are witnessing a horrific crisis of male violence against women cannot be ignored:

• In Australia, a woman is killed by her partner almost every week (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2023-2024).
• In Italy, a woman is killed every three days, indicating a shameful crisis (Italian Ministry of Interior, 2024).
• In Portugal, domestic violence is the most reported crime, with women accounting for 85% of the victims.

Ignoring these humanitarian crises, while exaggerating the danger of a piece of cloth and considering it a security threat, reveals the blatant hypocrisy of those who claim to protect women.

The niqab ban represents a deliberate choice by the political class to ignore the real humanitarian issues that concern public opinion. At a time when hundreds of thousands of people have marched - on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, in Italian squares, and the streets of Lisbon - to protest the genocide against Muslims in Gaza, perpetrated by the usurping and criminal Jewish entity, politicians have instead chosen to wage a cultural war based on the "us versus them" dichotomy.

This direct attack on Muslim women's dress, which employs national security rhetoric to portray the niqab as an existential threat to security, national identity, and secular values, legitimizes a forced assimilation project, forcing Muslim women to abandon their Islamic identity and comply with imposed secular national identities.

We, as Muslim women, must adhere to our Islamic faith, and remember the promise of Allah Almighty of the great reward for those who are patient and steadfast in their religion in times of hardship and tribulation. Allah Almighty said: ﴿Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allah" and then remained on a right course - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those are the companions of Paradise, abiding eternally therein as a reward for what they used to do.﴾.

Women's Section

In the Central Media Office

Hizb ut-Tahrir