Egypt's top cleric plans face veil ban in schools

CAIRO -- Egypt's top Islamic cleric is planning to ban students wearing the face veil from entering the schools of al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's premier institute of learning, according to an independent daily Monday.

A security official also said police have standing verbal orders to bar girls covered from head to toe from entering al-Azhar's institutions, including middle and high schools, as well as the dormitories of several universities in Cairo.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to speak to the press, said the ban was for security reasons.

The moves appear to be part of a government effort cracking down on increasingly overt manifestations of ultraconservative Islam in Egypt.