Indonesia has banned schools from forcing girls to wear Islamic hijab headscarves after the case of a Christian pupil pressured to cover up sparked outrage in the world’s most populous Muslim nation (90% of the population follows Islam). The move was applauded by rights activists, who say non-Muslim girls have been forced for years to wear a hijab in conservative parts of the country. State schools across the archipelago of nearly 270 million people will face sanctions if they fail to comply with the edict. Nadiem Makarim, the education minister, said that religious attire was an individual choice and schools cannot make it compulsory.
Indonesia: Islamic hijab not mandatory in schools
Written by David Fletcher 25 Mar 2021Additional Info
- Praise: God for religious tolerance in schools; may all Indonesia respect different religions. (Ephesians 4:2)
- More: www.arabnews.com/node/1804306/world