Religious Dress Ban In France As New School Year Begins

As the school year began in France, it appears that high profile controversies over the country's ban on wearing conspicuous religious symbols and dress in public schools have largely disappeared. The only open controversy involves four Sikh students who are being kept isolated in rooms apart from their classmates because they refuse to remove their turbans and and switch to an under-turban keski or patka. (Sikh Sangat News.) However, yesterday's Khaleej Times says that the ban has only been partially successful. It has helped some Muslim girls who came to school wearing headscarfs only because of pressure from their family or community. But other Muslim young women have gone to other countries to study or signed up for distance learning courses in order to avoid the ban. Meanwhile, in a tape released by Al Queida on the anniversary of the 9/11, Ayman Al Zawahiri criticized "those in France who prevent Muslims from covering their heads in schools".