Hijab for girls in Christian schools? No thanks, says Dutch court

On April 11, France became the first European country to ban burkas or hijab: traditional modest clothing worn by many Muslim women in Europe and in Muslim-majority countries that frequently include a veil or opaque covering of the face. In some, it is mandated by law or religious strictures with severe penalties for refusal. In the Netherlands, a court ruled that Catholic school in Volendam is allowed to a ban a girl from wearing a headscarf.

Dutch media noted that this is a problem faced by many church-affiliated schools which are classified as special schools in the Netherlands and therefore allowed to enforce their own rules in accordance with their theology and customs. However, while many of them do not ban headscarves, others ban any religious symbols such as a necklace with a cross.

Ordinary public secondary schools are not allowed to ban girls from wearing headscarves, but they would be allowed to ban veils because that would impair communication. The parents of the Muslim girl in Volendam is appealing the court's decision. She says the school is inconsistent as in the past another girl was allowed to wear a headscarf before it became such a controversy issue in the Netherlands.

One head teacher at the school reportedly objected not so much about the clothing in question but about what it stands for. Schools do not want to allow Islamic orthodoxy into the classroom or alienate moderate Muslims. A student reportedly said “This is a school. Clothing has nothing to do with how you learn,” while another calls Muslim clothing a subculture “just like goths.”