TEACHERS, schoolgirls, psychiatrists and human rights activists are to join a cross-party group of Euro-MPs today (Wednesday, September 22nd) for a seminar on the right to wear conspicuous religious symbols.
The seminar, which is being hosted by UK Green Party MEPs Caroline Lucas and Jean Lambert and the UK-based Assembly for the Protection of Hijab (Pro-Hijab), will hear the French law banning religious symbols violates internationally-protected human rights and should be repealed.
Caroline Lucas, Euro-MP for South-East England, said: "The French ban is a clear affront to freedom of religion and freedom of expression and must be repealed.
"This seminar will bring together religious communities and policy-makers from across the EU - and the political spectrum - to discuss ways of preventing the French ban from spreading to other EU states.
"Preventing the spread of populist Islamophobia in the EU has never been more urgent. Just this week an Italian MEP condemned traditional Islamic dress as 'a symbol of death' - and that's offensive and unacceptable."
The seminar will begin with a briefing on the French law and its impact on religious communities across the EU, which will be chaired by Abeer Pharaon of Pro-Hijab and hear from representatives of London's Sikh Community, the Commission of the Bishop's Conferences of the European Community and London Green Party MEP Jean Lambert.
Mrs Lambert, a member of the European Parliament's Human Rights and Civil Liberties Committees, said: "Banning the wearing of religious symbols is a clear human rights violation.
"This seminar aims to keep the Hijab ban on the European Parliament's agenda - and to push for it to vote in support of protecting universal human rights throughout the EU."
The second session of the seminar will debate and draw up a draft written declaration to be tabled later this year.
The declaration is likely to call on the French Government to reconsider its ban and to call on all EU member states to guarantee religious freedom in schools and educational establishments.
ENDS
For more information please contact Ben on 01273 671946, 07973 823358 or press@greenmeps.org.uk