Thousands protest in Ethiopia’s Mekelle over schools’ non-compliance with court’s hijab rulings
The Axum City District Court had previously suspended the directive prohibiting Muslim students from wearing hijabs and summoned five schools to respond to the allegations.
Romanat Square in Mekelle, Ethiopia, came to a standstill Tuesday as thousands gathered to protest the failure of schools in Axum to comply with court rulings and injunctions from the Tigray Regional Education Bureau that allow female Muslim students the put on hijabs in classrooms.
According to the Addis Standard, the protest rally, which was organised by the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, was held under the slogan "She will learn while wearing her hijab” and called on the schools to not only obey the directives but also respect the culture.
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"Despite clear rulings from the court and directives from the education bureau, our daughters are still being denied access to education. This is deeply concerning in a region where Islam has been part of the culture for centuries," said the President of the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, Sheikh Adam Abdulkadir.
The demonstrations come in the wake of the exclusion of Muslim Grade 12 students from registering for national exams in Axum earlier this month due to their refusal to remove their hijabs.
"There is no legal justification for forcing them to choose between their religious beliefs and their education. They have the right to attend school while wearing their hijabs," said Mustefa Abdu, a lawyer who attended the rally.
Ethiopian constitution
According to Kamil Abdu Oumer, a lecturer at the Wollo University School of Law, the banning of hijabs also contravenes Article 27 of the Ethiopian constitution which directs all government laws to be published in the Federal Negarit Gazeta.
"Directives and circulars issued by any organ of the government that are not published under the Negarit Gazetta do not have the power to limit constitutionally guaranteed rights," he said.
The Axum City District Court had previously suspended the directive prohibiting Muslim students from wearing hijabs and summoned five schools to respond to the allegations.
However, many schools have yet to comply.
"Even Christians are condemning this ban, as wearing the hijab is a religious duty for Muslim women. We are demanding that the decision be respected and that our daughters be allowed to continue their education," said 65-year-old Abdurahman Billal at the rally.
However, some school officials have come out to support the ban.
"Schools are not religious or political areas. As such. students are not allowed to enter school with religious symbols or dress," said Axum Secondary School Vice Director Gebremeskel Gebregziabher, adding that the policy has been in place for years,
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