Belgium: Headscarf update

Belgium: Headscarf update

The Forum of Islamic Organizations (FISO) announced that three Muslims girls from three different schools turned to Council of State against the decision by the Flemish public school network to ban the headscarf.

The Forum, which unites more than 30 Flemish organizations, was set up after the headscarf ban. The organizations include Leidraad, vzw Vrije Keuze, AEL and imam Nordine Taouil. The Forum says they advocate active pluralism in society and oppose the headscarf ban for students.

The Forum says they've received dozens of complaints from girls in various provinces.

In a recent decision regarding the headscarf ban in the Antwerp atheneums, the Council of State decided to reject the complaint for procedural reasons: the complaint was lodged too late, and the student is choosing to be absent and was not prevented from going to school.

In Wallonia, the MR party said on the weekend that they want to ban the headscarf in all the schools of the French community. Now they're proposing a ban on any religious, philosphical or political symbol for civil servants.

Sources: HLN 1, 2, 3 (Dutch)

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