Close shave for Muslim girl
01/10/2004 13:17  - (SA)  

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Strasbourg - A 15 year-old French Muslim girl was readmitted to school on Friday after shaving her head in order to get round a ban on the Islamic headscarf.

The girl - named as Cennet - had been refused the right to attend classes at the Louis Pasteur secondary school in Strasbourg because she insisted on wearing a headscarf since the start of term four weeks ago.

"She did not want to disobey either French law or the law of God," her mother told AFP.

By shaving her head she was able to dispense with the headscarf which according to her religious beliefs was required only when she had hair.

"She tried everything - a beret, a bandana - but they still refused to let her into class. She has been traumatised since the start of term. But all she wanted to do was go to school like everyone else," her mother said.

France introduced a ban on the headscarf and other "conspicuous" religious insignia in state schools in order to reinforce the separation of religion and state.

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