A French Muslim woman files a UN complaint after being expelled from school because of her dress

A French Muslim student filed a complaint with the United Nations in which she said that she was subjected to religious discrimination after she was expelled from her school for wearing a kimono, a Japanese garment that veiled female students resorted to wearing after the decision to ban the abaya.

On Friday, a Muslim student in France filed a complaint with the United Nations about being subjected to “discrimination” because of her religious affiliation, after she was expelled from her school for wearing a kimono, a Japanese garment that veiled female students resorted to wearing after the abaya was banned, because it was loose and covering like hers.

This comes as controversy continues over the French government's position against the hijab in schools, as several female students are rejected for wearing loose clothing.

On September 5, the student (whose name was not mentioned) was sent home for wearing a kimono.

The 15-year-old girl, who lives in Lyon, sent a complaint to Ashwini KP, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, regarding “the discrimination she was subjected to on the basis of her religious affiliation.”

The complaint was sent to the United Nations through the student’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, who issued a statement on Friday regarding the case.

According to the statement, the complainant, criticizing the abaya ban imposed by French Education Minister Gabriel Attal, said that she believed that “the French government did not take the necessary steps to prevent all types of discrimination against women.”

Earlier, the student also filed a complaint with the Lyon Public Prosecutor’s Office on the grounds that she was “exposed to discrimination because of her religious affiliation.”

On September 7, the Council of State, which is the highest administrative court in France, ratified the decision to ban the wearing of the abaya in schools, as it falls within the “logic of confirming religious affiliation.”

The ruling came after Vincent Bringarth, a lawyer for the Action for Muslim Rights (ADM), filed an appeal on August 31 before the Council of State, demanding the suspension of the ban on the abaya, which he said violated “several basic principles of freedom.”

The decision came into effect coinciding with the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, on September 4, but dozens of veiled female students refused to give up the abaya and were denied entry to their schools in implementation of the ban.

The ban sparked a backlash against the government, which has been criticized in recent years for targeting Muslims with certain statements and policies, including raids on mosques and charitable institutions, and an “anti-separatism” law that imposes broad restrictions on society.

Azerbaijan The government establishes a working group to solve the problems of the Karabakh region

Azerbaijan established a working group to address social, humanitarian, economic and infrastructure-related issues in Karabakh, to provide opportunities for the evacuation of people in need of medical assistance to Armenia at the request of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Azerbaijan announced the establishment of a working group to address social, humanitarian, economic and infrastructure-related issues in the Karabakh region.

According to a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic on Saturday, a working group was established under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, to address issues in a coordinated manner in the lands liberated from the Armenian occupation.

The working group includes officials from relevant ministries and government institutions, according to the statement, which provided details of the assistance provided to residents in the region during recent days, as part of the group’s work.

The statement also indicated that fuel will be provided for kindergartens, schools, first aid and fire services, at the request of representatives of the Armenian population.

He pointed out that the passage of food and daily necessities through the Lachin-Khankendi road is being ensured to meet the needs of Russian peacekeepers, as well as their delivery to the civilian population through peacekeepers.

The statement indicated providing the necessary opportunities to evacuate people in need of medical assistance to Armenia at the request of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

On September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani army launched an operation to liberate its occupied territories in Karabakh, and after fierce battles that lasted 44 days, Azerbaijan and Armenia reached a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement, stipulating that Baku would regain control over its occupied territories.​​​​​​​

On September 19, 2023, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced, in a statement, the launch of an anti-terrorism operation “with the aim of establishing constitutional order in the Karabakh region.”

One day later, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced that representatives of the Armenian population in Karabakh submitted a request through the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the region, according to which an agreement was reached for Baku to stop its operation against terrorism in the region, and to evacuate the illegal Armenian armed groups and the existing Armenian armed forces. In Karabakh, it disarmed and evacuated its military sites.