Students protest over French headscarf policy

Students protest over French headscarf policy

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of university students staged a peaceful
demonstration in front of the French Embassy yesterday morning to
protest against the country's national ban on Moslem headscarves
in school.

The students, numbered around 25, came from various state- and
privately-owned universities in Java, including the famous
Bandung Institute of Technology, National Islamic Institute of
Jakarta and the Teachers Institute in Bandung.

The demonstration, staged at 10 a.m., was suspended by the
authorities in a bid to avoid the involvement of irresponsible
parties which might only cause further destruction.

According to the head of Central Jakarta police Lt. Col.
Murawi Effendi, 21 protesters, including one female student, were
detained several hours at his office for questioning.

During the demonstration, French Ambassador to Indonesia
Dominique Girard received two representatives of the protesters.

"I appreciate the students, who try to express their demands
but they should also try to understand why different people have
different rules," the ambassador told The Jakarta Post in an
interview in the evening.

"Please do not oversimplify things," he said.

Secularism

Girard said he explained to the protesters' representatives
that the decision is not a discrimination against Moslem
schoolgirls, nor Islam.

"We (have to) respect our common tradition, including the
secularism of French schools," he said. "Without this, we cannot
protect minorities and -- in the future -- we will have racism,
rejection of different colors or religions, which we do not want
to."

The directive, he said, only bans the use of "ostentatious"
religious marks by students at state-funded secondary schools.

"Wearing a small cross, for example, is no problem, but the
Jilbab (Moslem headscarf) is something much different, which goes
further," he explained.

The ban, which has led to the expulsions of 30 schoolgirls
from their classes so far, was announced by French Education
Minister Francois Bayrou in a national directive to schools in
September. His directive said, "All forms of discrimination,
whether by gender, culture or religion, should be set aside at
the school gates," adding that "more discreet insignia" would be
tolerated.

Bayrou's directive has sparked a widespread outcry among the
country's Moslem community. Islamic groups in France have already
warned that if such action continues Moslems could be forced to
seriously consider establishing separate schooling for their
children.

"The Islamic headscarf is a religious principle which Moslems
must respect," said Moslem leader Amar Lasfar in his condemnation
late October. "The disciplinary committee has chosen to consign
these girls to ignorance."

Ambassador Girard also reminded that the ban is not imposed on
any students at kindergartens, primary schools, universities or
the public, as well as guests visiting French embassies.

France, he said, will stick with its policy without being
ashamed because "we have nothing whatsoever against Islam."

The country has an estimated 150,000-200,000 Moslem
schoolchildren, 500 of whom wear headscarves.

The protesters would be released in the evening, after their
identities were registered and questioning their motives, Lt.
Col. Murawi told reporters.

"We found no evidence of damaged to any public facilities," he
said.

So far, he said, "we have also found no political background
behind their protest."

Murawi assured The Jakarta Post that almost all of the
protesters were university students but "we have no concrete data
yet whether they are still registered as students at their
respective universities." (bsr)