Commission for Human Rights Requires Allowing Schooling of Girls Bearing Cover in Kosovo

The guest was Education Minister Rame Likaj, who was asked to remove administrative instruction that prohibits carrying the cover to schools.

Commission Chairman Duda Balje said the education minister has the competence to allow girls to carry the cover in schools.

While Commission member Besa Ismaili has asked Minister Likaj that under which the law is being prohibited to girls with their schoolscarves. She has also said that even within the Ministry of Education there is madness in the matter.

“Brenda the Ministry of Education has folly in politics says Ishmael. August's legal representative denies that administrative instruction speaks of the headscarf. We have the right to know the legal position this minister has taken. These girls who haven't gone to school or the Ministry had any other programs to offer you any other education”, Ismaili said.

While, Minister Likaj has said Kosovo is a secular state. He says that on the matter of carrying the cover to schools, he has also sought interpretation by the ombudsman.

I've also requested the opinion of the ombudsman's office. I myself am a believer, but I practice, but the minister's administrative ordinance is based on the law on professional education”.

According to Likaj, freedom to celebrate religion can be restricted by law, according to the ombudsman's interpretation.

“Based on the Constitutional Court as well as based on the European Court the restriction of religious freedom on wearing the headscarf is done in order to reconcile various interests, where wearing the headscarf may have an effect on imposing it”, Likaj quoted the public defender's interpretation.

Saranda Bogujevci said he is not understanding the code of courtesy in terms of the cover.

And Teuta Haxhiu told Minister Likaj he has committed violations. Everyone's right is to be educated in this country.

“Better have these girls in schools than in Syria”, Haxhiu said.