Montpellier: University warned after headscarf incident

A French university professor allegedly acted in a discriminatory manner towards two students wearing the Muslim headscarf.

HALDE issued a warning to the presidency of the Montpellier 1 University (law, economy) after a professor deliberately ignored two students during his course who were wearing the Muslim veil during the university year 2007-2008.

HALDE, the anti-discrimination authority, got the two complaints of the students, who say they were victims of religious discrimination by their Spanish teacher, through the immigration NGO Cimade.

After affirming his secular convictions, the professor demanded of his students to come without a headscarf for his courses.  After they refused, the professor ignored them, banned them from participating and after they protested told them not to come anymore to the course veiled.

In its deliberations, a copy of which was obtained by the AFP, HALDE says that this behavior clearly showed differential treatment due to wearing the Islamic headscarf and can't be justified by the principal of laicite.  The authority reminded the university that the March 2004 law regarding wearing religious symbols applied to schools and public high schools but not to universities.

HALDE also cites the education code that stipulates that students have freedom of expression as long as they don't disturb the course or public order.

If the students questioned the professor's remarks it is because they were "in manifest contradiction with the elementary principles of respect of religious convictions" and seem to be a provocation.  This can't be seen as behavior disturbing the smooth functioning of education, says HALDE.  Furthermore, the fact that there was no warning to the professor by the university presidency seems like a mistake of a type that incurs liability.  If more such behavior would be brought to their attention despite this warning HALDE warns they would take appropriate action.  

The university has four months to inform HALDE of the outcome of its deliberations.

Source: Nouvel Obs (French)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Indiana Third Reich Universitystan could learn a lot from this school. I wish my professors didn't call on the inbred retards in their disgusting explicit calls for genocide. Then I wouldn't have pay through the nose just to sit through 2 1/2 hours of 'eh-eh-eh-eh-eh' goat-bleating every week and then have to attend extra Friday classes to compensate for all the time wasted on Egyptian retards who have no idea who to behave themselves among adults, which is understandable given that their societies have never once produced a single adult or individual who received a legitimate education, but it sucks that they bring my education down to their level. They should be ignored if not thrown out. They should have never been admitted, but prostitution to the Saudis ruins everything for everyone. If France hadn't turned itself uninhabitable I would consider going to school there.

Why is the explicit call for genocide not banned at universities in France? I can't wear a swastika or a confederate flag but they can wear that evil. Disgusting.