for banning veils
By Binta A Bah
In an unprecedented twist to the controversial issue of veil wearing at schools, seven students, including minors have filed a D20 million civil suit at the High Court against five schools, demanding compensation for causing them emotional distress and embarrassment by forcing them to remove their veils.
The students are also seeking an order from the courts to declare that denying them to wear veils in school is unconstitutional and a violation of their fundamental human rights.
The suit filed alongside Concern Citizens, a civil society organisation and three other groups, is also seeking an order from the courts directing the schools concerned to allow the applicants and other students to use the veil in expression of their Islamic beliefs.
The applicants further want the courts to direct the Ministry of Education and the Attorney General Chambers to take necessary measures including the passing of laws to ensure schools within the country are allowed to use the veil, including tertiary educational schools. MoBSE and the AG are also respondents in the suit.
The schools being sued are: Gambia Senior Secondary School, St. Therese’s Upper Basic School, Reverend JC Faye, Grace Bilingual School and St. Peter’s Senior Secondary School. The case is yet to be assigned to a judge.
