In present times the Middle East is facing a threat from religious fundamentalist forces, and imposing a hijab on women has been on the agenda of fanatics for a while. But a video from the 1950s shows how the idea of imposing the practice was laughable in Egypt, even in those days.
The video shows President Gamal Abdel Nasser narrating an incident when the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood asked him to impose a veil on women and make them wear a tarha or scarf.
The secular leader mocks the idea, as someone from the crows says, “let him wear one”, and then he continues to mention how everyone decides rules for themselves in their house.
Nasser was a very popular leader across the Arab world, ever since he led the ouster of a British backed Egyptian monarchy. After an attempt on his life by a Muslim Brotherhood member in 1954, he banned the organisation in the country.
