Students protest over Hijab ban

A group of 200 Muslim protesters representing the Muslim Group for Peace had gathered in front of parliament on Tuesday (10 January), protesting against the headscarf ban at a local school in Nong Chok district in Bangkok which was put in place in mid-2010. The protesters urged the government to urgently re-address the controversial ban towards the headscarf in the school.

The group submitted a letter of request to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra asking that she further address the issue of the Hijab ban on students in Wat Nong Chok School. Along with their petition, the group had also attached a copy of an official statement reprimanding the school and its administration for attempting to violate the rights of the Muslim students to wear Hijab, starting with opposing their entry to the school and not treating them equally with other students.

On April, 29 2011 the government released an official statement, article 0209/6232, which states: "The Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, considers Wat Nong Chok School to have violated the official regulations regarding the issue of school uniforms worn by female Muslim students. Muslim students should be allowed to wear dress in accordance with their religious beliefs." Despite this, the ban and opposition to Muslim students in Wat Nong Chok School remained.

According to sources a majority of the school’s staff still are under delusions regarding students who wear headscarves to the extreme whereby some teachers have refused to teach lessons in classrooms if there were Muslim students wearing a headscarf were present in the room.

Several Muslim associations along with Muslim Group for Peace have advocated for Muslim school uniforms are allowed in every school throughout the country and urged the government to reissue an official statement clearly addressing the right of Muslim students to wear a long-sleeved blouse and dress, as well as the headscarf and requested to allow the students to dress in accordance to their religious beliefs.

-Asian Tribune-