Egypt teacher cuts girls' hair for not wearing veil

CAIRO (AFP) - An Egyptian teacher who wears a niqab, or full face veil, has been suspended after cutting the hair of two girls in her class for not wearing a head veil, press reports said on Thursday.

Residents of the southern city of Luxor "were angered after the teacher in a niqab cut the hair of two sixth-form students to oblige them to wear the veil", independent daily Al-Shuruk reported.

Another daily, Al-Masry al-Youm, quoted the teacher as saying: "I did not imagine that cutting off two centimetres (of hair) was a great crime.

"I was joking with them when one of the students got out some scissors and asked me to carry out my threat. I did it to maintain my authority."