Spanish Government Report Flags Discrimination Against Hijab-Wearing Girls in Schools

Spanish Government Report Flags Discrimination Against Hijab-Wearing Girls in Schools
——————————
A report published by Spain’s Institute of Women, an agency under the Ministry of Equality, has raised concerns about discrimination against Muslim girls who wear the hijab in Spanish educational institutions, according to The European Conservative.

The report, titled “Hands Off That!”: Discrimination Against Young Muslim Women Wearing the Hijab in the Education System, documents cases in which students have faced restrictions or bans on wearing the hijab in school settings.

According to the document, some schools have prohibited or limited the hijab during examinations, university entrance tests, vocational placements in hospitals or care homes, and school sports activities, highlighting these actions as instances of institutional discrimination. The report challenges common justifications for such restrictions, including arguments about uniform policies or educational neutrality, and asserts that they are selectively applied and disproportionately affect Muslim girls.

The report also frames this discrimination as rooted in Islamophobia, described as a form of cultural racism that targets Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim within the education system. It calls on educational authorities to revise school regulations to explicitly protect religious freedom and to prevent bans on religious symbols, including the hijab.