Albania Muslims Can Wear Headscarf In New IDs

Tirana | 23 January 2009 |

Approved headscarf model for new Albania IDs

Albanian Muslim women who wish to wear a headscarf when having their picture taken for the country's new biometric indentity cards will be allowed to do so as long as the headscarf fullfils certain conditions, the Albanian government said on Thursday.

The new documents are seen as crucial to avert election fraud in the upcoming parliamentary election in June. They have also been one of the conditions of the European Union before it will include Albanian in its 'White Schengen List' that allows visa-free travel to and within the bloc.

Local NGOs said only a tiny minority of Muslim women in Albania wore headscarves, and the government's decision met with far from universal approval.

"The religious rights of a small groups should not override the society's need for security," said Ermelinda Kapedani, a project manager with the NGO 'For Albanian Women'. "The identity card process is too important for women and the general public in this country to be compromised."

Unofficial statistics suggest some 70 percent of Albanians are culturally Muslim -- mainly Sunni, with a significant number following the Bektashi order -- , some 20 percent oare Christian Orthodox, and 10 percent are Catholics.

The last census to include religious denomination was carried out in 1946, and in 1967, Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha declared the country the first atheist nation in the world. According to the 2007 Religious Freedom Report by the U.S. State Department, less than 40 percent of all Albanians are currently actively religious, and intermarriage between different groups is so common as to be completely unremarkable.

For the purposes of the ID pictures, the Ministry of Interior agreed with Muslim authorities and settled on three particular models of headscarf attire that will be allowed.

(Reporting by Besar Likmeta)

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Comments:

Strange quotes
2009-01-23 14:21:34

The comments from that women rights seems strange. Maybe Mrs. Kapedani thinks that the end justify the mean. Can she explain why IDs are so important? At all she seems more interested to protect the rights of the government then the rights of women.

What's after the scarfs?
2009-01-24 09:41:25

One should never confuse rights with oppresion. Women who cover themselves show nothing but a submission to thier male others. That's my story and Im sticking to it - no one should be allowed to cover any part of their face for a secualr ID - the Albanian government has done more than it should have.

secularism is a religion
2009-01-24 21:58:03

Dear Andi, I think that talking about 'secular IDs' is the same as 'religious ones'. I hope that the general idea of women rights do not mean 'protecting women from themselves'. Women should have the right to chose wearing mini-skirt or headscarf. Government should not chose for them.

cover ups
2009-01-25 00:51:51

The women should have the right to choose whatever they want, but the way the women are brought up in Muslims societies they are conditioned to "want to" cover up. They are made to feel like the are not modest enough if they don't so they say they want to. They want to fit in, even if it means conforming to what the society wants. Now how is this a woman having a choice?

Women chose
2009-01-25 11:04:31

This is not the case of Albania. Women wearing headscarf are a small minority here. They are already under heavy pressure from their families and friends to 'accept modern dresses'. Albanians in general sees headscarf as wrong. So this is not that kind of 'Muslim society were women are conditioned to cover up'.

the wrong aproach
2009-01-25 18:16:46

comeon andi... my grandmother used to wear the skarf on her head even during communist times.... but its not that my grandfather forced her.... on the other hand iam very concerned that our government isnt takleing this religious fundementalist... the wahabis and jahovas wittness who come into our secular country and try to force religion uppon us. we have other problems to face .. miss kapedani is right religion of small groups should not override the society's need for security. dont forget guys albanian religion is albanism

2009-01-26 11:48:37

I agree with the declaration, the position of the state towards religion should not be compromised by religious groups, be them big or small. Everybody is free to practice the religion he/she sees fit, but our society is multi-religious, thus everyone should be treated equally to matters of religion, and considering the characteristics of our country, I do not think religious minority groups should override the rules of the government and the state.

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Albania Muslims Can Wear Headscarf In New IDs