Belgium: Council of State auditor says headscarf ban is illegal

Belgium: Council of State auditor says headscarf ban is illegal

Reuters has a video report on this (h/t Infidels Unite)

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The auditor of the Council of State says that the headscarf ban in the Antwerp Athenum is illegal. The Council of State usually follows the auditor's advice.

At the beginning of the month a student of the Royal Atheneum of Antwerp turned to the Council of State. The auditor now says that it's not the individual school administration, but the regional authority which should decide on the introduction of the ban.

Karin Heremans, principal of the Antwerp Atheneum, doesn't understand the auditor's counsel. "The special decrees for education of the Flemish Community precisely lay down the autonomy of the school administration".

"The school administrations are qualified. In my school I followed the correct procedure. Moreover the council of the educational authority will soon take a stand about the headscarf. The auditor now gives counsel. I'm waiting for the decision. I think it's crazy that a student only turned to the Council of State on September 5, and didn't do that during the announcment of the regulation at the end of June."

Saïda El Fekri of (BOEH!, Boss of own heads) says they'll remain realistic. "I naturally hope for a positive decision by the Council of State. In my opinion the administration made a procedural mistake. Hopefully the girls could soon return to school with a headscarf".

Meanwhile, opposition party Vlaams Belang wants a general headscarf ban in all public schools in Flanders.

Filip Dewinter, fraction leader in teh Flemish parliament, thinks that the Education Minister Pascal Smet (sp.a) should pressure the Flemish educational authority to introduce such a ban.

Dewinter will present a resolution proposal for it, and possibly next Monday a parliamentary commission will be set up for it.

Vlaams Belang says that a general ban in the 700 public schools of the authority will also meet with the criticism of the auditor of the Council of State.

Sources: hbvl, HLN (Dutch)