PARIS, July 12 (IslamOnline.net) - The French government approved the establishment of a secondary Muslim  school in the French city of Lille, where students would study Arabic and Islamic subjects along with French curricula, in what is seen as an unprecedented move in France's eventful history.

"Ibn Rushd secondary school was brought to light to meet the demands of around half a million Muslims in the city of Lille," Ammar al-Asfar, the head Lille's Islamic council, told IslamOnline.net Friday, July 11.

"It is the fist step towards more secondary Muslim schools nationwide," he added.

"The establishment of the school dates back to 1995, when the Muslim community submitted its first request to the relevant authorities, but unfortunately was rejected. However, our earnest and incessant efforts paid off when we finally got the official clearance on July 9, 2003 and are ready to open classes in September," he added.

Asfar said that the school was named after the famed Arab philosopher Ibn Rushd, thanks to his key role in enriching the Western civilization.

Asked whether or not the French move came to cool down the irate Muslim community in France especially after reports about a possible law barring hijab (headscarf) in schools, Asfar said that the establishment of the school has nothing to do with any other issue, asserting that "the school would be open for all Muslim males and females, whether they wear hijab or not."

The school's administration launched a website showing two Muslim girls one wearing a hijab and the other without to demonstrate the openness of its rules, which do not set hijab as a prerequisite to join classes in addition to a brief glimpse on the life of Ibn Rushd.

On the finance of the fledgling school, he said that Ibn Rushd non-governmental organization earmarked 150,000 euros, which have been fundraised from well-off French Muslims.

"The French ministry of education will also subsidize the school in a couple of years as it happens with private schools in the country," he added.

On the school's curricula, the school's deputy director Makhlouf Mamish told IOL that the school would teach the French curricula along with other Arabic and Islamic subjects. 

"It is expected that 30 pupils would enroll in the coming semester of September," Mamish said.

On the difficulties to get the state clearance, he said that that the school's board came across a number of obstacles, chief among which getting the state approval; however, they eventually succeeded in getting it from Lille's supreme council for national education.

"We practiced our constitutional right of having a private secondary school for Muslims on par with other religious communities such as Jews and Catholics," Mamish said.