Malawi to allow Muslim women wear hijab on driving license photos

Officials from Department of the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS)  have announced that  Muslim women in Malawi will no longer be required to take off their hijabs for their driving license pictures .

Woman wearing a Hijab

The move follows after  reports emerged about some Malawian women being forced to remove their hijabs to obtain their driving licenses and traffic registration identity cards.

Nyasa Times reported recently that two Muslim women — Beatrice Maulidi and Agness Kamoto — were recently forced by some officers at the traffic agency to remove their hijabs.

The two women through their lawyer Yusuf Witness Nthenda had  written a letter to Road Traffic  complaining t the conduct of officers at Road Traffic against Muslims wearing hijab.

But in  a statement issued on Wednesday made available to Nyasa Times, the country’s traffic authority said the decision  to lift ban on hijab for driving licenseswas made after “serious talks” were held with the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) and an agreement was reached on how to handle Muslim women at the authority’s offices nationwide.

“Muslim women may not be required to remove the head gear entirely but they should at least expose necessary facial features for facial recognition,” the statement said.

According to Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations of 2000 law, every applicant’s photograph must depict the head and shoulders, without any head covering.

“It is in this respect that clients who wish to have their images captured at DRTSS offices were requested to remove their head gear in order for the [traffic information] system to capture the necessary features for facial recognition,” the statement added.

The measures to remove the hijab had angered the Muslim community who said it violated human rights and a woman’s freedom to choose what to wear.

Spokesperson for Muslims Association of Malawi  (MAM) Sheikh Dinala Chabulika said what is important is not to remove the head gear.

“While respecting that the Road Traffic Directorate has recently issued licenses to Muslim women with the head gear, can the road traffic directorate issue a license to women with artificial hair?” said Chabulika.

Meanwhile, MAM chairperson Alhaji Twaibu Lawe has  welcomed the move, saying his organization had worked hard to reach an agreement with the traffic authority.

The DTRSS is the regulatory arm of Malawi’s Ministry of Transport and Public Works and is the sole agency that issues motor vehicle and driver’s licenses.

 

 

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married nurse
married nurse
6 years ago

Ndi Ku Malawi kunotu mukuti fwe fwe mupite kwa cha eni akeyo azimai sawothela anta zonse amamvela baba I hate this religion for one reason….it’s anti women

Osman Zuxy
Osman Zuxy
6 years ago

Sometimes it’s better to keep quite… Mukuti komwe anachokera? Christianity inachokera kuti if I may ask? Don’t just mix speculations out paranoia… M’malawi we got about 30-35 ℅ Muslims iwe ukubwera pano with ur monkey trick’s.. Isis ain’t Islamic group, time will come you shall know the truth.. Show me in Quran pomwe analemba kuti Muhammad (SWA)slaughtered someone? Anyway we ain’t debating hea ndipo sndikuona kuti Anthu a Paul muntha kutiwina us who believes in the teachings of Prophet Issah’s (Jesus) peace be upon him… Join them if u can’t beat them,, Female muslims kwa America the home of anti-islamic… Read more »

mbani
6 years ago

tisaone nkhope abandulidwabe kuumila bwanji one license for all. mzeru za bakili in dpp zoyipa look how beautiful annie and shanil are.

naphili
naphili
6 years ago

True muslim women do not even drive cars!! Go to Saudi Arabia! Za zii!

mangochi
mangochi
6 years ago

Dinala Chabulika are you a real Sheik? Here it says “to allow for some facial features” and you are advocating for “artificial hair”. It is normal that the driver should be recognized and artificial hair cannot hinder recognition. If you have no comments keep quiet and you will still be recognized. Do not start a stupid argument just to be heard. I have no respect for this Dinala thing. You are a bore man!!

mtete
mtete
6 years ago

Much Ado About Nothing really

Believer
Believer
6 years ago

You who call yourselves Muslims may I ask you to read Quran Chap. 94:10 and tell me what it says. Which says “IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND OR HAVE ANY DOUBT OF WHAT’S WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK (QURAN) GO AND READ THE BIBLE OR ASK THOSE WHO READ THE BIBLE, THE TRUTH IS ALREADY REVEALED IN THAT (THE BIBLE) And may you tell me why in Quran, the name of Muhammad is written in 4 places but the name of Jesus is found in 25 places. Why would Quran give more reference to Jesus than Muhammad? And why is it that… Read more »

che nnungu
6 years ago

Signs of perennial corruption in MALAWI. this is not true. In the end you will see these accepted on passport photos. You should weigh the consequences before looking at the advantages. Mavoti simungawine ndi zinthu zoopysa ngati zimenezi. Who makes such doggy polices. Zonvetsa chisoni kwambiri. No where in the civilised world will you see this.

che nnungu
6 years ago

Some decisions are made by mad people. In the end we will allow them too on Passport pictures. Cant you see the risks? Galu wina wadyaponso ndalama apa. Cry my beloved MALAWI

Thyolo Thava
Thyolo Thava
6 years ago

Pleasing UDF and Atupele for mavoti ……………….hmmmmmm desperate DPP

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