Egyptian Christian students forced to wear hijab and recite Quran

Female Christian students in Egypt are being told that they cannot take part in school activities unless they wear the hijab. Some students are also pressured to recite verses from the Quran.

Rahma Salem, a 12-year-old Muslim at a school in the Delta in northern Egypt, was made to stand alone in the school courtyard by the headmistress after she refused to wear the hijab, World Watch Monitor reported.

Salem, the only girl who attended the school with her hair uncovered, said the headmistress thought that she was a Christian.

"Christian girls have to wear the hijab. As soon as the end-of-day bell rings, they start taking it off," she explained.

When Salem's mother complained to the Higher Board of Education in her hometown of Zagazig, she was told "Stop being an idiot! Don't you want your daughter to be decent?" Other parents have also chastised her mother for allowing her to go to school without a headscarf.

In another school located outside the village of Samalout in Minya province, south of Cairo, 7-year-old Christian pupil Viola Samir said that the Islamic religious studies teacher held eight Christian students against their will. One of the students was reportedly beaten for not learning the Quran.

Religious education is mandatory for students in Egyptian schools but Christian students usually take separate classes to learn about Christianity while Muslim students learn about Islam.

"When my daughter told the teacher that the extra texts were not part of the Arabic curriculum [which all students have to learn], she was severely punished by her teacher," Viola's father told World Watch Monitor.

Abanob Milad, an 11-year-old student from another school in Samalout, was reportedly caned for not being able to recite verses from the Quran.

"Once, the teacher, Mohamed, caned Abanob on the back of his hands, afterwards forcing him to stand with his face to the board and both arms up in the air for the entire length of the lesson. My son had failed to repeat the Quranic text by heart when prompted to," his father narrated.

Coptic Christians are still facing some difficulties in Egypt despite being tolerated due to their large demographic size and historical presence. The country is marked as the 22nd most difficult place to live as a Christian in the Open Doors World Watch List.