Headmaster fined over Moslem veil

Headmaster fined over Moslem veil

JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court has penalized a high school
headmaster for expelling five students who refused to take off
their Islamic veils.

Lawyers for the students welcomed the decision, which
overturned the High Court's ruling of May 1994 in favor of the
Central Jakarta SMA 68 High School headmaster's decision to bar
the five students from class and from taking part in examinations
because of their Islamic headdress.

Students from other high schools were also expelled for
refusing to shed the Islamic headdress, causing many to move to
Islamic schools.

The Supreme Court ordered the headmaster, whose identification
is being withheld by lawyers, to pay Rp 5 million ($2,475) in
damages to each of the plaintiffs.

"If the headmaster fails to pay the fine he has to pay Rp
25,000 a day in extra fines," lawyers R. Dwiyanto and Sri Mumpuni
of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute said to the Pos Kota daily.

According to the lawyers, the headmaster was also ordered to
reinstate the students. The status of the plaintiffs at the
school, now five years after being expelled, is not clear.

The plaintiffs first filed a law suit against the headmaster
at the Central Jakarta district court, which later turned it
down. They then appealed to the Jakarta High Court, which also
rejected their case, the lawyers said. (tis)