An Ethiopian district court has summoned five schools in Axum town of Tigray regional state to respond to accusations that they have barred Muslim students from attending classes while wearing hijabs.
The call came on Thursday after a complaint by the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council which claimed that the schools have prevented 159 Muslim students from entering schools due to their religious attire.
In its preliminary ruling, the court suspended the directive prohibiting female Muslim students from wearing hijabs in schools, stating that it could result in “irreversible rights violations” against the affected students.
Following a hearing on 14 January, the court ordered the schools to appear on 24 January 2025 to address the allegations.
Muslim students in Axum have been protesting the ban, arguing that it infringes their constitutional rights to education and religious freedom.
The council had said the ban had disproportionately impacted Grade 12 students, with some reporting that they missed a deadline for online registration for the national examination because schools required them to remove their hijabs to register.
The legal action follows an earlier warning from the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, which announced it would take “further peaceful measures in consultation with believers” if the issue was not resolved within three days.
MG/as/APA