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The Danish Fee for the Forgotten Girls’s Battle – a physique arrange by Denmark’s ruling Social Democratic Social gathering – has recommended that the nation’s authorities ban hijabs (Muslim headscarves) for college kids in Danish elementary faculties.
The August 24 proposal is one in every of 9 suggestions with the acknowledged purpose of stopping “honour-related social management” of ladies from minority backgrounds.
The opposite suggestions suggest offering Danish language programs, selling fashionable little one upbringing practices in ethnic minority households, and strengthening sexual schooling in elementary faculties.
Huda Makai Asghar, 15, can be compelled to take off her headband if the ban is carried out. The ninth grader on the Kokkedal Skole – a faculty outdoors of the Danish capital, Copenhagen, with near 800 college students – has been sporting the hijab for 2 years.
“I’ve at all times recognized that we’ve got freedom of faith in Denmark. I can put on what I would like, and I can imagine in what I like. So after I heard in regards to the proposal, I used to be stunned,” she instructed Al Jazeera on the telephone.
Asghar feels the concept of a ban violates her freedom, and that of ladies like her, and that it’s incorrect to power her to take the headband off.
“I can’t do this; it is part of me,” she stated.
The ban proposal has sparked a backlash in Denmark.
Iram Khawaja, an affiliate professor on the Danish College of Schooling at Aarhus College, has been outspoken towards the proposal.
Her analysis focuses on how youngsters from spiritual and ethnic minorities navigate Danish society, and she or he is co-founder of the Skilled Psychology Community In opposition to Discrimination.
Based on Khawaja, a ban is not going to clear up any of the problems confronted by ladies who’re topic to social management.
“Quite the opposite, a ban can add to greater points. The women who’re already being uncovered to detrimental social management will probably be put beneath rising strain,” she instructed Al Jazeera.
“It’s problematic to equate sporting the hijab with detrimental social management – there are additionally ladies who don’t put on the hijab who’re uncovered to detrimental social management,” Khawaja added.
Based on the fee’s report (PDF), the “use of scarves in elementary college can create a division between youngsters in two teams – ‘us’ and ‘them’”.
The research was carried out by the analysis corporations Als Analysis and Epinion on behalf of the Danish Ministry of Schooling. It’s primarily based on a survey of 1,441 college students in sixth to eighth grades from 19 elementary faculties and eight unbiased and personal faculties, in addition to 22 interviews with college students and 17 interviews with academics.
Based on Khawaja, a research from 2018 on the extent of detrimental social management confirmed that few Danish college youngsters – 8 p.c of the members within the research – are literally uncovered to social management.
“The vast majority of ladies sporting the hijab are doing it of their very own free will,” Khawaja stated.
Based on her, merely making the advice and the talk that may observe may have detrimental penalties.
“It should, in fact, have penalties if the ban is put into motion, however I imagine there are already detrimental outcomes now. Merely placing the proposal out there’s already stigmatising, problematising, and casting suspicion on a big group of non secular minorities,” she stated.
“Though the intentions are good, it finally ends up stigmatising and disempowering those you are attempting to assist.”
Lone Jørgensen, principal of Tilst Skole, an elementary college in Jutland with roughly 700 college students, doesn’t help the really useful ban, both.
“The ban would create a regulation between the youngsters and their mother and father, and the youngsters would get caught in between, “Jørgensen instructed Al Jazeera.
“My job is to run a superb college for everybody, the place there’s room for everybody and everyone seems to be of equal worth.”
‘A part of Denmark’
On August 26, a number of thousand individuals took to the streets of Copenhagen to protest the ban proposal.
Based on the Danish newspapers Arbejderen and B.T., a number of thousand took to the streets.
Midwife and activist Lamia Ibnhsain, 37, organised the occasion, titled “Arms off our hijabs”.
“I realised that our voices are invisible in society. The preliminary intention with the demonstration was to go to the streets and make our voices heard,” she instructed Al Jazeera.
Ibnhsain stated she has had “numerous tough emotions” following the ban proposal.
She has felt “othered”, positioned beneath suspicion as a mom, and she or he fears a ban may add to some ladies feeling “incorrect” in comparison with others.
“Muslim girls sporting the hijab are in all places in Danish society. They’re medical doctors, psychologists, bus drivers, and artists. They’re part of Denmark,” she stated.
Ibnhsain is a mom to 2 ladies – an eight-year-old and a 16-year-old.
Her older daughter wears the hijab, whereas the youngest wears it on days when she feels prefer it.
Ibnhsain explains how speaking to her ladies a few potential ban has been robust.
“My ladies are sporting the hijab with pleasure and happiness. The hijab is a matter of the center, and it ought to on no account be changed into a political dialogue,” she stated. “It violates my ladies’ primary rights.”
The fee
The fee was arrange by the present ruling get together, the Social Democratic Social gathering, in January.
Though it offered the suggestions unanimously on August 24, two members of the fee afterward retracted their help for a hijab ban following the talk, which led to one in every of them withdrawing utterly from the fee, stating that she couldn’t help the proposal of a ban.
In a written response to the criticism of the research offered to the fee in an e mail, the secretariat behind the fee instructed Al Jazeera it had been arrange by the federal government and its mission was to current suggestions on how to make sure that all girls from a minority background may get pleasure from the identical rights and freedoms as different Danish girls.
“The fee focuses on how Danish society can reinforce the efforts towards honour-related social management, which we all know from analysis is an issue in sure environments in Denmark,” it stated in an e mail response.
“The research from 2018, which is referred to, states that solely 43 p.c of the ethnic minority ladies within the research are allowed to see male associates of their spare time, whereas the identical is the case for 88 p.c of the ethnic Danish ladies,” the assertion learn.
“And 13 p.c of ethnic minority ladies are afraid that their households will plan their future towards their will, whereas the identical is the case for five p.c of the ethnic majority ladies. One of many goals of the fee is to deliver suggestions on learn how to equalise variations like these between Danes who’re ethnic minorities and majorities,” it added.
The secretariat stated the fee consisted of 9 members with completely different backgrounds and information – “they’re individuals with sensible expertise, analysis backgrounds, and individuals who have skilled these points personally. All know in regards to the challenges associated to countering honour-related social management”.
The fee is ready to make further suggestions within the coming months.
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