Kyrgyz schoolgirls who wear hijab 'face discrimination'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 13 September 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyrgyz schoolgirls who wear hijab 'face discrimination', 13 September 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e8973c4c.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 13, 2011
Kyrgyz schoolgirls are apparently being forced to stop wearing the hijab, even though there is no legislation banning the garment from places of education.
BISHKEK – A Kyrgyz Muslim women's NGO claims that female students who wear the traditional Islamic headscarf are being subjected to discrimination, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
The chairwoman of the Mutakallim NGO, Jamat Frontbek-Kyzy, told a meeting of the organization on September 13 that, at the beginning of the academic year on September 1, many female Muslim students across Kyrgyzstan were either forced to stop wearing a headscarf or expelled from secondary schools if they insisted on doing so.
Frontbek-Kyzy said her organization has received some 150 written complaints and more by SMS from the parents of students affected.
Education and Science Ministry representatives told RFE/RL that while there is no legislation banning Islamic headscarves at secondary schools, there is an established and approved uniform for all students.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
