young republic of Kosovo, the vast majority of the population is Muslim, because of its tradition of “moderate Islam” and following the letter of the secular constitution, following in the footsteps of Tunisia and France, forbidding the wearing of women’s headscarf – the hijab – female students in public schools . As in Turkey, where a ban on head scarves, introduced in 1920, has led to bitter disputes, the decisions of local authorities and school leaders have already led to treatment in court, and complaints of discrimination.
At the present time can not wear headscarf in schools most of Kosovo. 16-year Ardzhetu Halimi from the small town of Viti, in which Muslims live apart from Catholics Albanians and Orthodox Serbs, do not allow to start school in January 2009. Although school leadership has promised to allow her to take their final exams in hijab. In the meantime, she is engaged at home, and besides attending classes in Islamic religious school, wrote «Weekly Standard».
According to local media, one day, the school director accompanied by a guardian ordered the girl to remove the headscarf or leave the territory entrusted to it by the school. Hijab, she refused to withdraw, stating that decided to cover their heads after five years of studying religion. In addition, other pupils are allowed to wear a cross around his neck, objected Halimi, so that it should allow to wear the hijab in class.
For a local schoolgirl intervened no relation to Islam, non-governmental organization – the Center for legal assistance and regional development – apply to a court complaint against religious discrimination. The district court ruled in her favor, but the school and municipal authorities are not willing to listen to the judges, insisting that such a visible religious symbols can not be worn in public schools.
According to the organization of Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), published English-language edition of the analytical «Prishtina Insight», in Kosovo there is at least ten such incidents. Three students expelled from schools in the area of Skenderaj, and one – from an educational institution in the capital. But, writes «Prishtina Insight», in some schools and neighborhoods of the city Viti wearing the hijab is allowed.
