Cairo:
A new satellite TV channel managed completely by women donning the niqab or the full veil will begin broadcast in Egypt July 20, the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramandan.
"It will be the most viewed during the month-long Ramadan," said Maria TV owner Abu Islam Ahmad Abdallah.
The channel's name is a reference to Maria, the wife of Muslim prophet Maometto.
The idea for the channel came from "discrimination" against women who wear the niqab, he said.
"A veiled woman applied for work at a TV channel but didn't get the job. How come in that environment women wearing the niqab are victims of discrimination?" he said.
"For this reason, I decided to start a channel and help pave their way in the hope that others follow my lead," Mr Abdallah said.
The owner of the station says he is reacting to an Egyptian media establishment which claims to support democracy, but does not accept divergence of opinion.