Students at a Rochester city school are being invited to wear a piece of religious clothing on Friday.
The garment is known as a hijab. It’s worn by girls and women of Muslim faith. We’re told this started with some young girls who sent a letter to their school with concerns about the way they were being treated.
The district says the event Friday will go on at World of Inquiry School -- billed as a cultural event. But some parents tell News10NBC they weren’t notified -- and some had reservations about the school promoting something that could be considered faith-related.
“Because you’re forcing a religion on a student -- which it’s not their religion -- so we should have been advised,” says Jonathan Alston.
Alston has a 15-year-old daughter at World of Inquiry School. He says he didn’t know about Friday’s planned event -- in which female students are being invited to wear a hijab during school. His daughter says she has no problem with the event and says she doesn’t feel like she’s being forced to participate.
“I think it’s cool that we get to learn about other people and their culture and stuff,” says Imon Bussey.
A hijab is a veil or head scarf worn specifically by some women of Muslim faith as a symbol of modesty and dignity. The district says all females are being invited to wear the hijab to show their support for their peers who wear them every day to school -- and increase understanding of others.
On its website, World of Inquiry School bills itself as a place of expeditionary learning, which emphasizes learning by doing. But it raises questions about whether religion has a place in public schools when students are invited to wear a garment tied to a specific faith. Will those who don’t participate for their own personal reasons be viewed as intolerant?
“It’s very sensitive -- the topic,” says Miriam Sabater. “They have to show the parents, like notify, send them a mail.”
Sabater has a seventh grade daughter at World of Inquiry.
Brett Davidsen: “Will your daughter be wearing a hijab to school tomorrow?”
Sabater: “That’s her choice.”
We’ve been trying to speak with someone at the district on-camera to ask some of these questions about whether this event is appropriate in a taxpayer-funded public school. They didn’t make anyone available Thursday. The district did provide a statement that says:
“World of Inquiry School No. 58 is honoring a request from students to build awareness as part of World Hijab Day. On Friday, a group of students will be at information tables in the cafeteria during mealtimes to talk about the hijab and other headwear worn by people of diverse cultures. Female students will be invited to wear a hijab for the day, and male students can wear carnations if they wish to join in the observance. This is a student-led cultural education opportunity, not a religious event.”