Digenis.org

I haven?t had much extra time to blog lately, but I?ve been meaning to post my thoughts on France?s recent decision to ban religious symbols from their public schools.

Frankly, I think it?s counterproductive to the goals the law itself is striving for (integration and decreasing religious discrimination) and an infringement against the religious rights of students. It?s one thing for a school not to teach or promote a particular religious ideology; it?s another to altogether restrict the students from wearing a headscarf, skullcap, or necklace that symbolizes their faith.

If officials in France think that this law will help to integrate Muslim into their schools, they are dead wrong. If anything, it will cause many muslims (and perhaps people of other faiths) to drop out of the public school system and seek a private education.