Press Release

GLA/2005/134
15 March 2005
For immediate release

Mayor of London reaffirms support for Muslim women's right to choose
to wear the hijab

On the first anniversary of a ban being imposed in France Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has today reaffirmed his support for the right of Muslim women to choose to wear the hijab.

Last February the Mayor wrote to French Prime Minister Jean Pierre Rafferin in response to the French Parliament's vote on banning the hijab and other religious symbols from public schools and workplaces throughout France. It bans the wearing of the items including the hijab, Sikh head coverings, large Christian crosses or crucifixes and Jewish yarmulkes, although small Christian jewellery is permitted.

A year on and French reports indicate the impact of the ban in French schools, with at least 47 girls being excluded from classes as well as the case of one school in the Seine-Saint Denis region banning three Sikh students for wearing their turbans.

Ken Livingstone said: 'I believe that the ban in France is a blow to good community relations throughout Europe, and will inflame tensions between communities and encourage attacks on minority communities'.

In December 2004 the Mayor appointed Yasmin Qureshi as his Human Rights Adviser. A key part of her remit, is to advise the Mayor on the promotion of freedom and equality of religion in particular to address the growing problem of Islamophobia.

Yasmin Qureshi said: 'As a city with such a diverse multicultural population, London has an interest in seeing basic human rights such as the right to freedom of religious expression upheld everywhere, including in the rest of Europe. Since the introduction of the ban in France, at least 47 girls have been dismissed from schools and many more have had their lives affected in other ways. It is a basic issue of human rights that individuals can observe their religion. It is essential that institutions including schools respect the right of people to wear religious and traditional dress.'

Abeer Pharaon, Chair of the Assembly for the Protection of Hijab, said: 'In the last year, the Protect Hijab campaign has witnessed an increase in aggressive moves by governments against the Muslim woman's Hijab. This approach has caused the alienation of an entire section of some societies, especially in France where young girls are suffering tremendously from the draconian measures adopted by the government in banning the Hijab.'

'The Written Declaration tabled before the European Parliament on February 21st is an attempt to revive the drive towards multiculturalism and tolerance that Europe fought so hard to obtain, which is now being threatened by such extreme measures.'

The Written Declaration is the first step towards changing policy in
Europe to guarantee religious freedom as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, and Protect Hijab is committed to
campaigning for its proposals to be adopted for the greater good of
all of our communities'.

Mejindarpal Kaur, Director of UNITED SIKHS, said: 'Twenty-five Sikh school children have been immediately affected by the ban-law and some 250 younger schoolchildren will be affected when they go to secondary schools in the future years. Of the 25 affected presently, three 15-year old were expelled and are suing the government, 2 were refused admission and the others are going to school by covering their top knot with handkerchiefs. In some cases Sikh school boys are going to school bareheaded with their hair braided into plaits and in some> extreme cases French school boys have cut their hair under duress.
This law is not only bad because it is targeted at children who are deprived of their right to practise their religion in their growing years, but also because it undermines the Right to Difference which a civilised society like France have practised hitherto. It is this Right to Difference which makes Europe a special place where unity is achieved through diversity and not uniformity. This law not only affects French school children but any school child from the UK or any other part of Europe who will not be able to participate in school
exchange programmes if they wear a turban, a hijab, a skull cap or a
large Christian cross.'

'The French government is required to conduct a review before September 2005. We urge the French government to take into account how the law has affected the school children and changed its stance by revoking the law altogether '

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. In July last year the Mayor hosted Hijab: A Woman's Right to Choose, a conference at City Hall, organised by the Muslim Women Society and the Muslim Association of Britain, to launch an> international and London campaign for the protection of Muslim women's right to wear the hijab. Delegates from the UK and overseas to debate the impact of restrictions such as the ban on the hijab in French schools.

2. The legislation to ban conspicuous religious symbols in French State Schools is expected to be reviewed later this year (date to be confirmed).

3. In March 2005 Appeal court judges ruled that Shabina Begum was unlawfully excluded from her school for wearing the Jilbab. Lord Justice Brooke said that Denbigh High School, in Luton, denied Shabina Begum, 16 - now at another school - the right to manifest her religion. He called for more guidance for schools on complying with the Human Rights Act.

4. Five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have expressed alarm at the rise of religiously motivated violence in many European countries, especially since September 11, 2001. MEPs Caroline Lucas, Claude Moraes,
Sarah Ludford, Philip Bushill-Matthews and Alain Lipietz in a written statement expressed their "deep concern" at France's ban on what they term as the display of 'conspicuous religious symbols' in schools.

The MEPs said they believe "this ban on the Christian cross, Jewish skullcap, Muslim hijab, and Sikh turban to be an infringement of human rights, in particular Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights."

The Euro deputies urged the French government to rethink its ban and investigate ways of improving the opportunities for religious as well as racial minorities to integrate more fully into French society.

The MEPs called on EU Member States specifically to allow within educational and other state establishments the outward expression in a private manner of individual faith. They also called for a debate on the subject to be held in the European Parliament.

5. Further information about the Assembly for Protection of Hijab can be found at www.prohijab.net. You can also email info@prohijab.net, or telephone: 07817 667 987

6. United Sikhs is a global human development organisation which has been campaigning since the French ban law was introduced last year
 

7. French newspaper Le Monde reported today that 47 young girls had been excluded from their schools according to the Minister for Education MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Press information is available from Hasina Momtaz on 020 7983 4635 (number not for publication)

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