BRUSSELS – A petition has been started in protest of plans to set up a secondary school in Molenbeek exclusively for Muslim girls. Many people are opposed to the idea, citing the separation of church and state in Belgium as grounds to block the plans.
The petition calls for a ban on “any ostensible sign of philosophical or religious membership in the context of a school, for students and especially for teachers.” They want this ban in effect for all schools that receive state subsidies.
“I don’t think that setting up an Islamic school is a fantastic idea, but that is what happens when people feel shut out by a traditional school,” was the response from Francophone antiracism foundation Mrax.