The judges confirm the sentence of a court in Stavropol, on the basis of the "secular nature" of the Russian State. For the Muslim community it is a violation of religious freedom. Last year several girls with headscarves were banned entry into class.

Moscow (AsiaNews/agencies) - Forbidden to wear the hijab, the Islamic veil, in high schools in the region of Stavropol, in southern Russia, bordering the Muslim majority Caucasus region. This was established on 10 July by the Supreme Court, confirming the validity of a ruling issued earlier by a local court. The judges rejected the appeal filed by lawyer Murad Musayev on behalf of the local Muslim community.

According to the Stavropol regional court, which ruled to ban headscarves in schools, education in Russia is secular and such restrictions are aimed only to promote equality among students of different denominations and faiths. For the judges, the outward appearance of the students "must be secular in nature".

The lawyer Musayev, on the other hand, contended that the hijab ban violates the constitutional right of Muslims to wear their religious symbols. "The Russian Constitution grants everyone the right to choose their religion, while only federal regulators can impose restrictions on the freedom of conscience and religion", argued the lawyer, as reported by Interfax.

The members of the Muslim community of Stavropol, also explained that the ban on dressing in accordance with their beliefs, forced them to transfer their children to religious schools or to make them study at home.

In February, the Court had rejected a similar lawsuit on the grounds that religious freedom does not include the right to wear religious symbols.

Musayev had submitted an appeal to the same court on April 22, 2012; this appeal was then passed to the Supreme Court. The intent was to cancel directive of the regional government promulgated on October 31, 2012, which imposes a single standard in the students' clothing. Since then, for two weeks, several schools banned entry to girls wearing the veil.

In October last year, President Vladimir Putin commented on the issue, explaining that the authorities must respect the beliefs of citizens, but must base their decisions on the secular nature of the state. (N.A.)