Russian Region Bans Religious Clothing and Symbols In Schools

In Russia, the governor of the Astrakhan Region in the southern part of the country announced yesterday that "explicitly religious" clothes and symbols will be banned in the Region's schools and colleges beginning September 1. According to Russia Beyond the Headlines, at a meeting of the regional council for issues of ethnicity and religion Governor Alexander Zhilkin said:

We must not forget that we are a secular state, and we will follow this path, no matter how certain groups try to unravel this system, both for reasons of ethnicity and religion. Those who oppose this idea are free to choose from a plenty of other countries to live in.

The Astrakhan Region is 46% Russian Orthodox and 16% Muslim.