The book cover

By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent

PARIS, February 20 (IslamOnline.net) – The story of Lila and Alma Levy began simply with being referred to the headmaster and ended – as tragically as simply – with expulsion from school.

The two sisters of a Jewish father and an Algerian mother were banned from Lycee Henri school in aubervilliers, Paris, for refusing to take off their hijab in October last year.

Now the two girls decided to take their experience to bookshelves with a book called Deux filles comme les autres (Two girls like others).

The students gave answers on such issues as love and sex, and expounded on how they wore hijab and the future of their gear, to be banned under the imminent law.

The anti-hijab bill was recently approved by the French Parliament’s lower house after President Jacques Chirac had given a televised speech in which he urged secularism be strengthened in the country.

The barring of the two sisters from their school has triggered a heated debate in the country, as they had worn the hijab of their own will against claims of the Stasi committee – which recommended the ban.

The committee argued that the dress code is imposed by parents on their children, but the case of Lille and Alma - now living with their father, a Jew who is now saying he has no religion – set a clear example to the contrary.

Lila had earlier said in an interview with IslamOnline.net that wearing hijab had not come under pressure from any one.

“It’s our own personal choice (as guaranteed by) the freedom of religion stipulated by the human rights convention”.

Her Jewish father, however, got irked, threatened legal action for what he said “something ugly and is a sure-fire way of causing an explosion”.

France's National Assembly adopted Tuesday, February 10, with an overwhelming majority a controversial bill that would ban hijab and religious insignia in state schools.

The ban has drawn fierce opposition from the country’s sizable minorities and international rights groups. London mayor Ken Livingstone had written to French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin urging him to scrap the plan and some U.S. Congressmen urged a bill condemning the move.

Love Affairs

The two sisters, Alma, left, and Lila

The book was forwarded  by two French journalists Veronique Giraud and Yves Sintomer, who called on the French to understand the hijab phenomenon before giving a judgment on it.

It is a vision of the hijab issue from through the lenses of those wearing and acting as its advocates, the two female journalists said.

They asked both sisters on their opinions regarding love affairs and sex as well as sexual equality in Islam.

“I happened to admire a youngman, but the relation did not develop into a love affair, which is different from the position taken by other girls who commonly change lovers as they did with their own dresses,” said the 16-years-old Lila.

The two sisters were asked about pre-marital sex.

“We could not impose our way of life on others, but I see no benefit in having an affair before marriage – something common here – as it is haram (forbidden) in the Islamic law),” said Lila.

For Alma, the matter reminds her of Beverly Hills, an American series the French girl greatly detest.

“My relation with boys is based on respect,” she said.

On sexual equality, Lila dismissed laws banning women from driving or taking up political and economic posts as having nothing to do with Islam.

That not to give women equal rights to men is so dangerous a matter even at the level of children.