By Elaine Ganley PARIS – A powerful Islamic organization alleged Thursday that officials were abusing a law banning religious symbols from schools by expelling Muslim girls who were wearing printed bandannas, not Islamic head scarves. The head of the Union of Islamic Organizations of France urged girls expelled for wearing bandannas to take their cases…
They join two girls expelled on Tuesday – one of whom told a French newspaper it had destroyed her life. The expulsions came as the education ministry gave schools the go-ahead to begin proceedings against 72 students who have refused to obey the law.
By Hadi Yahmid PARIS, September 4 (IslamOnline.net) – The third day of school term went smoothly Saturday, September 4, as Muslim students maintained compliance with the hijab ban in a show of national unity over the two French hostages in Iraq. Upon a field visit by IslamOnline.net correspondent, most of Muslim students have removed hijab…
By John R. Bowen Headscarves are back in the headlines in France this year. Now the scarves are collectively called le voile (the veil), suggesting a full facial covering, rather than, more accurately, foulards islamiques (Islamic scarves), the term used in past years. The stakes have been raised since 1989, when the scarves first sparked…
Kenza Refsi, 18, furtively breaks away from a cluster of friends near her high school and with a shy smile that exposes her braces, she agrees to discuss why her teachers won’t let her dress the way she wants. It’s not that she wants to wear a thong with low-riding pants, or a nose ring,…
