The Coordination of Combating Islamophobia in Europe published a video clip of the director of an educational institution who insulted two Muslim students because of their headscarves, and on charges of proselytizing and calling to convert to Islam.
According to the video published by the coordination, the director of the Faculty of Commerce gathered the student "Lea" and her friend, and asked them to walk behind people and lower their heads, because of their headscarves and because they preach Islam, and stated that this was with the aim of insulting them.
Convoquées par la directrice de leur école de commerce, Laya et sa camarade sont accusées de faire du "prosélytisme" par leurs tenues
Sommées de baisser les yeux, elles sont choquées et humiliées.
Determinée le CCIE l'accompagne dans ses démarches.https://t.co/IqR4pepHRt pic.twitter.com/SfYTOccDP2
— CCIE (@CCIEurope) July 6, 2022
During her testimony to the coordination, "Lea" said that she wanted to document the incident because of its cruelty, adding that the director described them in various offensive terms because of their recent wearing of the veil, which the director considered a product of proselytizing Islam.
Depuis le remplacement du directeur et l'arrivé d'un nouveau réseau, l'école est devenu plus que n'importe quoi.
Ils sont venus en cours d'année avec leurs règles mais en dénaturant totalement les principes de base de l'école (diversité, laïcité… https://t.co/P1EWQbVVog
— MA î SELF 🐉 (@_mauritanie) July 7, 2022
Tweeters and activists announced on social media platforms their solidarity with Leah and her friend, stressing that what is happening towards the Muslim community in France has become a real disgrace to this country, while others confirmed that the director spoke about the concept of proselytizing and neglected another concept, which is harassment and insulting girls with her violent talk with them.
je suis abasourdi tellement c'est honteux https://t.co/lk5Ifod92e
— 𝑆𝘩𝑎𝑦💎 (@smts216) July 7, 2022
Humiliation of another student
About two weeks ago, the French Mediapart website published an article in which it stated that eyewitnesses confirmed the violence of a humiliating scene. She delayed her entry until she missed the start of the exam.
This came in an article on the French website of Najma Ibrahim, in which she followed up on the subject of discrimination against the student, Sabrina (a pseudonym, aged 18), when the educational official in her secondary school told her in front of the door, “Put this thing off your head,” in reference to the veil that She was wearing it.
Although the student quickly complied, as confirmed by many of the witnesses interviewed, she was still denied entry to the institution, insisting that what she was subjected to constituted an “assault” by the official.
Sabrina - who is still affected by the events - said when she spoke to Mediapart, that the official met her "in harsh language and in an unfriendly tone", although she is used to going to her school with the hijab and taking it off at the entrance, to wear it again upon leaving, and indeed "when I arrived I removed it without discussion as soon as you asked me so unfriendly."
However, the educational official became more "aggressive" - according to Sabrina, who admits that she was nervous because of the exam awaiting her - and she "pushed me and put me aside, and let others in, saying that she would take care of my case after that, and I did not understand what was happening to me because I no longer wore the hijab." So I said that I am a student like the others and that I should take the exam as well, but she did not allow me to enter.”
Although the site contacted the educational official and the general director of the secondary school, they did not answer his questions until the time of the article's publication. As for the Paris Academy, it took refuge in the principles of secularism, considering that the student refused to take off her veil in violation of the established arrangements, despite reminding the school staff present to her about those laws.
The academy added that "the girl's refusal led to a tense discussion before the student finally agreed to take off her veil and be taken to the exam room, explaining that the problem was immediately addressed by the institution that communicated with the original high school and the girl's family, stressing that she is firmly committed to respecting the values of secularism." ".