April 7, 2003	Monday	Safar 4, 1424

PARIS, April 6: French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has decided to take a firm stand against the wearing of scarf in schools.

“In a Republic,” he said on French political TV talkshow France Europe Express, “we have the right to practice a religion, except that in the exercise of everything that concerns being a citizen, we just cannot manifest in an ostentatious manner one’s religious activity, one’s religious participation.”

Pressed to pronounce himself as to whether he was ready to ban the wearing of the scarf, Mr Raffarin said “absolutely”.