The girls with their hair hidden in "solidarity" with Najwa.

El Mundo:

Najwa Malha, the 16-year-old Muslim girl who was removed from class for wearing the 'hijab' (headscarf), has not come to school today. As her father has reported this morning, Mohammed Malha, the child is suffering from severe pressure and is getting psychological counseling.

The girl is depressed because he fears she will be excluded from the Institute Camilo Jose Cela , in the Madrid suburb of Pozuelo de Alarcón. Today the Institute’s School Board meets to study if they modify the rules of procedure specifying that "inside the building is not allowed to use caps or any other garment that covers the head."

Meanwhile, Najwa will receive the solidarity of their colleagues and this morning, five children have gone to school with his head covered (four with the 'hijab' and one with a hood). "We’re going to support her whatever the risks ", has assured 14-year-old Fatima, a Spanish of Moroccan origin aged 14, whose father says he is supportive of this protest, but that he is not pushing her, as was reported yesterday by the center.

Her father, Jarid, says that "everyone can go to school dressed as he pleases. There is no rule." Latifa, another youth who has come to class with her hair covered, said: "We do this to show solidarity with Najwa. We try to help her not to feel alone."

As reported yesterday, the parents and their daughters could not attend their classes and were instead taken to a study hall, after going to school with their head covered in solidarity with the child.

According to the digital newspaper 'Andaluspress.com' , these children, Spanish nationals with Muslim origin, were able to enter their class yesterday, but after the break, around 11.30 hours, the three young women with 'hijab' were removed and taken to a study hall.

According to the father of one of the girls, the school admonished them that "they were just asking for trouble" to appear with their head covered in class. However, this family maintains that "it is their right" to do whatever they want and that their response has been that "have a duty to take because they are Muslim."

The parent said that since then, the Institute has not allowed them to return to class and even gave them a warning, explaining what happened. In this situation, parents today have decided to accompany the students to ask for explanations and see what happens to their daughters.

When came to light the case of the 16 year-old who had her entry banned, the Director of the Institute Camilo Jose Cela de Pozuelo de Alarcón said that at "all time" they had complied with "the right to education" of the student and referred to the Article 32 of the Rules of Procedure of the Centre, which states that "inside the building is not allowed to use caps or any other garment that covers the head."

The Education Department of the Community of Madrid said on Friday that the department is respecting the internal regulations of each school, which are approved by the School Councils. Furthermore, that respect is already reflected in the Organic Law of Education (LOE) and the Decree of Coexistence prepared by the Community of Madrid.

Education Department’s sources who have been in contact with the center ensure that the School Board could repeal section of its rules prohibiting wearing a headscarf in class.

Moroccan Workers' Association (atime) criticized the decision that prevents Najwa from going to class for wearing the 'hijab' (veil) and requested the urgent intervention of the Department of Education of the Community of Madrid.

Najwa, of Moroccan family but a Spanish national, has ensured that she would use the Islamic headscarf "whatever happens." The youth took this decision against her parents, who tried to persuade her not to wear it.

About her motives, Karam said it was "an act of submission" to her God, which, in her view, must be respected, but she also said that she wears it because she likes to.

ABC:

Najwa didn't appear in the center, although her father did: "I came to submit a medical report because she has yet to enter a psychiatric facility. She has a deep depression." She has spent the night in the hospital Puerta de Hierro. "This afternoon, her doctor will decide whether she is entering it or not."


As of yesterday, "with rumors that are going to b expelled and the pressure of today she is getting worse. Since then, she neither eats nor sleeps, is really bad," said his father." "Now", he continued, we are more worried because of her health that because of her schooling. Mohamed repeated to the media that Najwa is entitled to wear the" hijab "guaranteed in Article 16 of the Constitution.

Oh, well, so if another teenager wants to go naked because the religion of the “naked saints” tells her to, are we also going to let her attend class because if not “she would need counselling”?

This girl wears it because she thinks it’s cool and possibly as a rebellion. But what really is strange in this case (as some commenters noted in the article) is that she is doing something because of her deep commitment “whatever happens”, but then, when she is removed from class, she feels depressed. Isn’t that a little bit strange?

There is another fact to highlight: Spanish Government wants to forbid the presence of crucifixes from public schools  and now this girl  (and her companions) wants to use a non-Christian (Muslim) religious symbol against the express regulation of the school. Speaking about equlity of religions.

Lastly, the School Board has teachers, parents and schoolchildren as members. The rule was mainly stablished, as in other schools, perhaps to prevent people from having a dirty hair and transmiting and spreading lice between the schoolchildren.