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US Students Told To Get Permission Slips To Wear Hijab

Two American students were told to get permission slips from their parents in order to wear their hijab at their high school. The girls' posts on Twitter got attention from activists, and prompted the school’s officials to apologise.

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Tara Khandelwal
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Two American students were told to get permission slips from their parents in order to wear their hijab at their high school. 

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Fatamata Mansard and Hajah Bah proudly wear head scarves, but the administrators at their school in Northern Virginia look upon their dress choice with scepticism. The students have said that the school officials demanded that they remove the scarves and threatened to punish them if they didn’t.

They asked the girls to get permission slips for their parents, confirming that they were Muslim. The principal has said that the scarves might be a cover for unkempt hair.

The assistant principal even threatened to write Mansaray up for being disrespectful when she tried to explain to her about the hijab. The girls' posts on Twitter got attention from activists, and prompted the school’s officials to apologise.

County schools Superintendent Steven Walts has said, “We have fixed this issue and we have made it crystal clear throughout our school division that if you are wearing something that has to do with your religious beliefs, we certainly accept that and honour you for your religious beliefs.”

"I'm like, 'Why do I need a note for my religion? Why should you need to prove your religion?" said Bah.

There have been many stories of women who wear the hijab in the US, facing discrimination. Just recently, a Muslim American woman was kicked out of a bank for wearing a hijab. The staff at the Sound Credit Union in Washington threatened to call the police if she did not remove her hood. In another incident, a US teen spat on her peer, and tried to yank off her hijab.

Also Read: This Fierce Rap Video About Wearing Hijab Tells It Like It Is

Picture Credit:  Washington Post

hijab discrimination religion U.S. students
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