04 September 2010, 10:00
In Ingushetia, mother defends her daughter's right to wear hijab at school
Lydia Gomkargieva, principal of School No. 3 of the city of Karabulak in Ingushetia, has not allowed a five-form schoolgirl, as her mother reports, to attend school in a hijab. Another higher school pupil was not let to lessons in a headscarf and a long school uniform. The ministry of general and vocational training of Ingushetia has sent a special commission to this school.
Fatima Khashagulgova, mother of the first girl, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that on the eve of the new school year, on August 31, Gomkargieva told her that she would not let her daughter in a hijab to school, since schools are secular establishments. According to Ms Khashagulgova, other teachers were not against her 10-year-old girl wearing a hijab; however, they offered to agree with the principal on the issue.
As a result, of September 1, the child went to school in a usual school uniform. And after another conversation with the principal, the girl, according to her mother, was not let to school at all.
Fatima Khashagulgova has already submitted her application to the prosecutor's office, where the case was accepted to consideration. According to her story, mothers of several more girls are going to join the protest.
The ministry of general and vocational training of Ingushetia knows about the situation and is now debating on possible solutions of the problem.
Author: Ekaterina Selezneva Source: CK correspondent
