December 18, 2003	Thursday	Shawwal 23, 1424

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PARIS, Dec 17: President Jacques Chirac of France said on Wednesday that a law was necessary to ban the Muslim headscarf and other religious insignia from the classroom.

“The Islamic veil — whatever name we give it — the kippa and a cross that is of manifestly excessive dimensions: these have no place in the precincts of state schools. State schools will remain secular. For that a law is necessary,” he said in an address to a select audience at the Elysee palace.

The president was giving his verdict on the findings of the Stasi committee, which recommended last week a ban on “conspicuous” insignia in schools.

He said the law should be in effect by the start of the next school year in September.

The president rejected a second committee recommendation under which the Eidul Azha and the Jewish Yom Kippur would be introduced as annual holidays in state schools.

“However, I do not think any pupil should have to say sorry for being absent on a major religious holiday... as long as the establishment has been informed in advance,” he said.

The president also called for a law to stop patients refusing treatment from a doctor or nurse of the opposite sex; a “secular code” to be issued to all state employees; and an observatory on secularism to monitor the relationship between religion and the state.

“Secularism is one of the great conquests of the republic,” he said.—AFP