Russian Presidential Human Rights Council suggests passing hijab law

RF Presidential Human Rights Council is elaborating a report containing proposals with regard to wearing hijabs in schools, to be submitted to the Russian President.

Namely, the Council members suggest passing the law regulating the school students’ outfit and their rights to wear religious symbols. 

“The matter is, how openly the school students can demonstrate their religious affiliation and whether it is going to violate the secular nature of the state and the right to education,” Evgeniy Bobrov, the Council member, told the ‘Izvestiya’ media outlet.

In his words, the Council is going to address this issueat its nearest session by the end of month.

Under the legislation in effect,a dress code for students is established individually by schools.

The issue of wearing hijab in schools has stirred fierce debates in Russia on the number of occasions: 

• As Olga Vasilyeva, Russian EducationMinister, stated during her visit to Mordovia, on January 24, Russian school students shouldn’t use religious symbols to emphasize their affiliation. She also pointed out that ‘the Constitutional Court has already decided on the matter’  and that ‘hijab thatemphasizes national identity has no place in school.“

• On January 28, Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadirov, sharply criticized Olga Vasilyeva for making such a statement. “It is surprising that instead of putting right the local leaders, the Minister imposes her ‘personal beliefs’  upon millions of citizens. My three daughters go to school, they wear hijabs and they have good academic performance. Does Olga Vasilyeva insist that they take off their headscarves? The girls will never do that,” Kadyrov’s Instagram post reads.

• In February 2015, Russian Supreme Court found legal a ban on wearing hijabs and other religious symbols, as well as miniskirts, jeans, low-cut tops and piercing in schools in Mordovia, introduced by the republic’s government.

• Earlier, in 2012, a conflict over wearing hijabs in schools arose in Stavropol region, where in some districts the Muslim girls wearing hijabs were banned from entering school. This caused the Muslims’ indignation. Russian President, Vladimir Putin, then interfered in the matter, saying wearing hijab in school is of no good. In his words, there has never been such a tradition in Russia, even in its Muslim regions. As a result of conflict, a mandatory classic-style dress code for school students was introduced throughout Stavropol region. Students were officially banned from wearing head cover, including hijab, as well as the clothes with religious symbols.

• In summer 2013, Russian Supreme Court upheld the ban on wearing hijabs in Stavropol region’s public schools.