Malawi Moves to Allow Hijabs in All Schools
Voice of America
BLANTRYE, MALAWI - Malawi is taking steps to start allowing Muslim students to wear the hijab, or headscarf, in all educational institutions. The controversial issue has forced some schools to close in the predominantly Christian country. The issue of wearing the hijab has long been a point of contention in Malawi, especially in Christian-run schools where female Muslim students have not been allowed to cover their heads in class.
The controversy reached its peak in October when suspected angry Muslims in eastern Malawi torched the office of a Catholic primary school head teacher who had turned away pupils wearing the garment. The standoff forced several Christian primary schools in the Muslim-dominated region to close. As a result, the Ministry of Education requested that the quasi-religious Public Affairs Committee, or PAC, help resolve the matter.Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2024. A Palestinian child pulls water containers, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in southern Gaza City, June 3, 2024. A Palestinian man holds the hand of a little boy as they walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip on June 3, 2024.
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