Sunday, October 12, 2003
Huh? Muslim girls expelled from French school for wearing headscarfs.
"The Islamic veil they were wearing in class was judged to be ostentatious," French TV said.
OK, firstly, will someone decide whether the girls were wearing headscarfs or veils. Secondly, what the hell kind of reason is 'ostentation' for kicking girls out of school?
National regulations lay down that signs of religious observance should not be displayed in state educational institutions.
Hmm, tricky. Does a Catholic country like France get away with banning anyone in schools wearing crosses? Maybe the Vatican should campaign to get condoms recognised an official symbol of the Church (see next post). But surely the two girls in this case could argue they are wearing headscarfs in a non-religious way? School and state then have no more right to ask them to remove them than they have to ask them to strip naked. It also goes against the EU consitution on freedom of religious expression, but then if the British Government is any guide I suspect the French Government may also decide to pick and choose exactly what rules it does and does not want to obey.
"We have been talking to some of the pupils of Maghreb or Muslim origin and they are saying to us: Stick to your guns, because we don't want the headscarf in school, because for these girls the school is the last place of refuge," he said.
"They can rely on the school to resist the social pressures in their community, in the district they live in."
Jesus, has the person who wrote this article ever passed an exam in English? I assume it's meant that non-Muslim pupils from the same ethnic background don't want anyone in the school who wear what they see as a symbol of religion. Presumerably they are worried that if the girls continue to wear the headscarves then they'll release some kind of gas that will turn everyone into a practicing Muslim. That's why we have equal opportunity laws, to protect the minority from the majority. Hopefully this wrong-headed view will get overturned, at least for the principle, although i think it would be best for everyone if the two girls look for a different school that isn't so prejudiced.
"The Islamic veil they were wearing in class was judged to be ostentatious," French TV said.
OK, firstly, will someone decide whether the girls were wearing headscarfs or veils. Secondly, what the hell kind of reason is 'ostentation' for kicking girls out of school?
National regulations lay down that signs of religious observance should not be displayed in state educational institutions.
Hmm, tricky. Does a Catholic country like France get away with banning anyone in schools wearing crosses? Maybe the Vatican should campaign to get condoms recognised an official symbol of the Church (see next post). But surely the two girls in this case could argue they are wearing headscarfs in a non-religious way? School and state then have no more right to ask them to remove them than they have to ask them to strip naked. It also goes against the EU consitution on freedom of religious expression, but then if the British Government is any guide I suspect the French Government may also decide to pick and choose exactly what rules it does and does not want to obey.
"We have been talking to some of the pupils of Maghreb or Muslim origin and they are saying to us: Stick to your guns, because we don't want the headscarf in school, because for these girls the school is the last place of refuge," he said.
"They can rely on the school to resist the social pressures in their community, in the district they live in."
Jesus, has the person who wrote this article ever passed an exam in English? I assume it's meant that non-Muslim pupils from the same ethnic background don't want anyone in the school who wear what they see as a symbol of religion. Presumerably they are worried that if the girls continue to wear the headscarves then they'll release some kind of gas that will turn everyone into a practicing Muslim. That's why we have equal opportunity laws, to protect the minority from the majority. Hopefully this wrong-headed view will get overturned, at least for the principle, although i think it would be best for everyone if the two girls look for a different school that isn't so prejudiced.
