Ethiopia: Six Civil Society Groups in Tigray Demand Action As Muslim Students Face 100 Days of Exclusion Over Hijab Ban

26 February 2025
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — Six civil society organizations operating in the Tigray region have called for urgent action to resolve the case of 159 Muslim students in Axum town who have been barred from classes for nearly 100 days due to wearing the hijab. The groups emphasized that the decision by the Tigray Regional Education Bureau and the district's court, which ordered the students' return, must be enforced.

The organizations--Yehono, Gorzo, Rise and Shine, Hewyet, Umbrella for the Needy, and Nolawi--warned that the prolonged exclusion has caused "social and psychological harm" to the students. They stated that, despite being registered for national exams after external pressure, the students have not been allowed back in school.

"Muslim female students have been excluded from education solely because of their hijab," the civil society groups said, adding that the ban has resulted in "missed learning opportunities" and "psychological distress and isolation." They demanded the immediate lifting of the ban, accountability for school officials involved, and compensation for the students' lost educational time.

Muslim students in Axum town, located in the Central Zone of Tigray, have been protesting the hijab ban, which they say has barred them from attending school and violated their constitutional rights to education and religious freedom.

The case was subsequently brought to court by the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, arguing that the ban violated the students' constitutional rights. On January 14, the Axum District Court suspended the school directive banning the hijab, warning of "irreversible rights violations."

However, schools allegedly continued to deny entry to the students, sparking protests and demonstration by thousands in Mekelle on January 21. In response, the Axum District Court issued a warrant on January 27, ordering the detention of school officials accused of defying its ruling, stating that their actions "undermine the court's authority."

"Legal rulings without implementation are meaningless. We cannot remain silent while hundreds of female students are being denied their right to education," the civil society organizations said, according to information from Deutsche Welle (DW).

Read the original article on Addis Standard.

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