Police in Zanzibar ban driving while veiled

Police in largely Muslim Zanzibar have banned women from driving while veiled, an official said yesterday.

The ban was imposed on Thursday, but police did not detail the punishment or fine.

"We have evidence showing some accidents were caused by women drivers wearing the nikab," which some Muslim women wear over their face, Regional Police Commander Bakati Khatib told the Associated Press. "Let me be clear we haven't banned women from wearing the nikab. What we insist is that they must take the nikab off while they are driving. Their vision is not accurate when they are driving."

Zanzibar, an archipelago off Tanzania's coast, is 98 percent Muslim.

The Quran, Islam's holy book, tells Muslims - men and women - to dress modestly. Some woman choose the hijab, a scarf that covers their hair and neck. The nikab, which in Arabic means full veil, leaves just a slit for the eyes, or covers them, too, with transparent material.

Growing numbers of women are wearing the nikab in Zanzibar, however there are no official numbers.

Last year an official with the Ministry of Agriculture, Saleh Mbarouk, sparked controversy when he banned women employees from wearing full veils during office hours.

He backed down two weeks later following protests from Muslims and after other government officials intervened.