Tigray Muslims Speak Out on Hijab Ban in Schools

ADDIS ABABA – The Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council is sounding the alarm over a new prohibition on hijabs in the Axum area, and they’re not just going to sit back. They are brainstorming “further peaceful steps in consultation with believers” to tackle this quandary.

“We urge for adherence to the dress code regulations set forth by the Federal Ministry of Education for Muslim students,” the Council advised in a communiqué from Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital.

The Council insists that transgressions against constitutional liberties should be confronted. Additionally, they call on the Ministry of Education to uphold fundamental human rights and respect regional statutes.

“This hijab restriction encroaches on citizens’ human rights, breaches the constitution, violates Ministry of Education protocols, and disregards our regional laws,” the Council declared. It stressed the point further: “School rules must align with the constitution. Our appeal for hijab-wearing rights should be recognized in line with Ministry regulation number 6.3.”

Haji Mohammed Kahsay, the Secretary of Tigray’s Islamic Affairs Council, told Addis Standard that the restriction was hitting grade 12 students unevenly. “Some students haven’t been able to sign up for national exams because they weren’t allowed on school grounds,” the Addis Standard notes.

“Tigray is already grappling with political and environmental woes,” warned the Council. “Introducing a religious conflict would only deteriorate the region further. It’s unfair and unlawful to bar students simply for sporting a hijab that signifies who they are.”

The Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council previously mentioned that we haven’t reached “a solution” regarding the predicament faced by Muslim students in Axum, Tigray Regional State, who have been blocked from class attendance for donning hijabs.

AXADLETM