"Wearing hijab has not triggered any problems between Muslim students and Swiss school officials or teachers," said Dorson

By Tamer Abul Einein, IOL Correspondent

BERN, July 22 (IslamOnline.net) - Swiss Muslims have vocalized satisfaction with the decision of the Zurich canton government and education authorities to snub a proposal but forward by the Swiss People's Party (SVP) for a law banning hijab in schools.

"Wearing hijab has not triggered any problems between Muslim students and Swiss school officials or teachers," Fateh Dorson, representative of a religious forum in the federation of Islamic organizations in Zurich, told IslamOnline.net.

He pointed out that most Muslim families inform school officials in advance that their girls would start wearing hijab as of the next school year or in few months' time.

Dorson, a Swiss of Turkish origin, said this openness between the families and the schools help bridge any gaps.

The computer programmer asserted that so far there has been no strong opposition from school officials to hijab-wearing.

On the contrary, they usually ask the parents about the religious importance of wearing hijab, Dorson added.

No Hijab Ban

Zurich government rejected on July 12 a proposal put forward by two SVP lawmakers to legally ban hijab in schools.

It maintained that there was no need for a legislation banning hijab and that, based on reports from schools officials and education authorities, the number of hijab-clad student was not worrying.

Unlike in other neighboring countries, wearing hijab in schools is not causing any problems in Switzerland, the Zurich government said.

It stressed that the supreme federal court's verdict upholding a decision by Geneva government to expel a school teacher for insisting to wear hijab was not applicable to students.

The government added that in case school officials found out that a student was forced to wear hijab, they should raise the issue with her parents.

The occurrence of such cases, however, does not justify issuing a law that bans all Muslim girls from wearing hijab, said Zurich government.

It underlined that the passage of such unjustified laws would create problems and generate hatred and extremism.

Anti-Muslims

The SVP has had an anti-Muslim agenda for a long time.

When Muslims were handed over their first cemeteries in Zurich on June 22, 2004, the party criticized the step, claiming Muslims do not deserve such a right.

Their argument was countered by Zurich Mayor Elmar Ledergerber who stressed that the increasing Muslim community in Zurich, estimated at more than 20,000, are entitled to be buried according to their religion.

Dorson expressed conviction that the SVP's anti-Muslim campaigns are meant to garner more votes in the elections.

The SVP is depicting itself as the defender of western values and domestic interest, said the Muslim activist.

Eng. Ahmed Afifi, a veteran Muslim activist in Zurich, agreed.

He said that far-right parties are exploiting fears of Islam to make political gains in elections.

Afifi was hopeful Islamic societies and organizations Switzerland would close ranks regardless of ethnic affiliations.

Muslims in Zurich, who hail from Turkish, Arab, Pakistani and African origins, are effectively integrating into the society, observers believe.

Islam is the second largest religion in Switzerland after Christianity.

The Muslim community, estimated at 350,000, represents a sizable 4.5 percent of the country’s some eight million people, in addition to more than 10,000 illegal Muslim immigrants.