The Don Bosco secondary school in Volendam refuses to scrap its headscarves ban despite a ruling by the Equal Treatment Commission.
On 7 January, the Commission ruled that the ban was a form of religious discrimination. However, the school called upon its Catholic identity. In a statement, the school board said that “Expressions, in whatever form, of any faith other than Catholicism will remain banned.”
The ruling by the Equal Treatment Commission is not legally binding, but must be taken into consideration by the judge in a possible court case
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Email this Bulletin
Printer-friendly version
DON BOSCO SCHOOL'S BAN ON HEADSCARVES
VIOLATION ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION
Dear Editor and Readers,
Despite the ruling of the Commission of Equal Treatment, the Dutch Don Bosco School persists on her ban on head scarves
But yet apart from the ruling of the Commission, wearing a head scarf as a symbol of islamitic identity is a fundamental right, which is established in the Dutch Constitution, being the right on freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as in all International Treaties, which have been undersigned by the Netherlands
Therefore it is a shame and disgrace, that the Don Bosco School persists in violating fundamental rights
This ban is no isolated incident of discrimination
Since 11 september 2001, not only in the Netherlands, but in Europe, racism and populism against migrants in general and muslims and the Islam in particular is spreading as a poison, as well in social as in political life
It's of the highest importance to fight for fundamental rights as equality of all people and freedom of religion, to stop this Evil
Europe should learn from its own past [1933-1945] to realize, again, the danger of discrimination and racism
Astrid Essed