Monday, November 05, 2007

Belgium: Headscarf fashion show

The organization BOEH! (boss of our own head) carried out a demonstration during the Fashion Show in San Marco Village in Schelle. The members of BOEH had organized a "fashion show with a mission" to make it clear how important it is for most Muslim women to wear a headscarf, says Laila Ekchouchou of BOEH.

The reason for the demonstration during the Fashion Show is the planed debate Monday evening in Ghent.  Almost all the political parties will be present there.  This is the result of the insistence of Vlaams Belang to ban the wearing of the headscarf by Ghent city workers, which is now allowed.  The immigrant community of Ghent has already announced a demonstration on the debate evening.

In order to add more power to the demonstration, the BOEH! organization organized its own demonstration.  A fashion show to clearly show that it should be possible to wear the headscarf everywhere, for everybody who wants it, according to Liala Ekchouchou.  They want to signal that they won't let anybody else decide above their heads.  BOEH is also shocked by the sudden about-face in Ghent. 

"We are also enormously shocked by the sudden about face in Ghent.  We saw this city as a model city, the city that showed that everything is possible without problems.  Now they want to introduce it there and you'll create problems, where there are none.  There are already women working with a headscarf after all."

BOEH! came into being after Antwerp implemented a headscarf ban.  Laila says that they have already called for people to be present Monday evening in Ghent, and during the voting on November 26."

Source: HLN (Dutch), pictures available on the site.

See also: Antwerp: Municipal veil ban drawing protest