News: Axum court summons five schools over hijab ban, suspends directive citing rights violations
Addis Abeba– The Axum City District Court has summoned five schools to respond to allegations of barring Muslim students from attending classes while wearing hijabs, following a complaint by the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council.
According to the council, the schools have prevented 159 Muslim students from entering due to their religious attire.
In its preliminary ruling, the court suspended the directive prohibiting female Muslim students from wearing hijabs in schools, stating that it could result in “irreversible rights violations” against the affected students.
Following a hearing on 14 January, the court ordered the schools to appear on 24 January 2025 to address the allegations.
Muslim students in Axum have been protesting the ban, arguing that it infringes on their constitutional rights to education and religious freedom.
The ban has disproportionately impacted grade 12 students, with some reporting that they missed the deadline for online registration for the national examination because schools required them to remove their hijabs to register.
The legal action follows an earlier warning from the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, which announced it would take “further peaceful measures in consultation with believers” if the issue was not resolved within three days. The council has also criticized the Tigray Education Bureau for failing to implement effective solutions beyond issuing statements. AS
