Headscarf ban prompts French Muslims to open own schools

3/31/2005 9:00:00 PM GMT

Source: The Star Online

The French government’s ban on religious symbols in state schools prompted Muslims to open their own schools and education services.

Representatives of new school projects around the country gathered at France's largest Muslim convention in the weekend, providing money and support to educate girls who have pulled out or been expelled from state schools for refusing to take off their headscarves or hijab.

“We are not a real school, but we may become one if this law continues to exclude girls from state schools,” said Romina Fauser, who heads a study centre in a northern Paris suburb for 16 girls following correspondence courses to finish high school.

The move is strong enough to make French media describe it as “a new activism” among Muslims, who make up 8% of the French population.

“The demand is increasing and it's clearly linked to the headscarf law,” said a man raising funds for a planned high school in the southern city of Marseille.

Hanifa Cherifi, an Education Ministry official, said that 48 Muslim students had been expelled for wearing hijab while almost 600 had agreed to take off their veil.

But Muslim groups said that more than 806 were “victims of the law” including dropouts and girls pressured to uncover their hair.

“There are girls who took off their headscarves but now want to put them back on. There are girls who simply dropped out of school whose numbers we don’t know,” said Fatima Ayach, the National Secretary at the Paris-based March 15 Freedom Committee.