It is a request that causes controversy. In Toulouse, the police asked school principals to notify them of the number of students absent during Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim religious holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, which took place on April 21 this year.
The newspaper The shipmentwho disclosed this information on Friday, May 19, said: “On April 26, a hundred schools in Toulouse and its suburbs received an email from territorial intelligence asking for the absenteeism rate for students on April 21, the day corresponding to the Muslim holiday of Eid-el-Fitr.”writes the newspaper, which reports the testimony of a head teacher shocked by this procedure.
The Ministry of the Interior does not deny itself
According to the newspaper, the two policemen behind the email acted according to the directives of the territorial intelligence without referring to the rectorate. ” Under no circumstances do we carry out such surveys “, said the Parisian Mostafa Fourar, rector of the Academy of Toulouse. ” As soon as the heads of the schools and the directors of the schools informed us of this request, orders were obviously given not to comply with it. “, He added.
Sunday May 21, Sonia Backes, Secretary of State for Citizenship, affiliated to the Ministry of the Interior, took the floor to try to silence the controversy. Therefore, he confirmed in a press release that this request indeed came from the Ministry of the Interior.
Explain that a “the assessment of the rate of absenteeism observed on the occasion of the Eid el-Fitr feast, on April 21, could be requested, in some academies, from the heads of establishments”. According to her, the “The Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Departments regularly studies the impact of certain religious holidays on the functioning of public services, and in particular in the school environment”. But it does not explain why these procedures exist. However, she denies the “list of students according to their denomination”.
A “targeting Muslim families”
Since the publication of the article by The shipment on 19 May many unions denounced this procedure. In a statement, the CGT Education laments a ” outrageous and dangerous stigma “. Marie Cecile Perillat, general secretary of the FSU31, denounced a “targeting Muslim families” Who “ deeply concerned”. For its part, the union SOUTH Education remember it “students can be absent on Eid day”by publishing a circular from the Ministry of Public Education which certifies it.
Associations also intensified. The League of Human Rights, denounces a “scandalous request” and he affirms it “the school cannot be the tool to identify the practices and beliefs of its students”. On his side, SOS Racism report this “link between the alleged Muslim religion of children and the issue of safety”, while emphasizing the violation of the principle of secularism and the principle of equality. The association declares: Fortunately, no such requests have ever been made for other religious groups. than that of Muslims.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
