Ireland: Ireland's Muslim women do not expect there will be moves by the authorities here to outlaw them from wearing the hijab (headscarf) in schools and public workplaces.
Ms Nawal Elhaj, wife of Imam al Hussein, of the Islamic Centre on Dublin's South Circular Road, said last night "Irish people are different, they respect religion. France is secular."
She was speaking in the context of demonstrations outside the French embassy in Dublin at the weekend, part of an international day of protest against plans by French President Mr Jacques Chirac to ban the hijab and other "overt religious symbols" in state schools and public workplaces.
The new law would ban religious symbols such as the hijab, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses, and is expected to be presented to the French parliament next month.
Ms Elhaj, who took part in the weekend demonstrations in Dublin, said they were held "to support our sisters in France".
She said there were no problems with young Muslim women wearing the hijab in Irish schools. Her own daughter did so at secondary school.
She agreed there had been a problem with some Irish schools in the past, but not anymore. And where a problem might arise over the hijab, young Muslim women could always go to another school.
Over 200 people took part in the weekend protests outside the French embassy.
They included Muslim schoolgirls, human rights organisations, religious, women's groups and anti-war (in Iraq) activists. Many carried posters which read: "Stop the War on Islam. Defend Civil Rights."
At the demonstration Green MEP Ms Patricia McKenna said there would be outrage in Ireland if priests wearing Roman collars and nuns in habits were banned from schools.
She said it was clearly unfair to ban the hijab. "Unlike Christians, Muslims have a specific dress code. Many Muslim women feel the hijab is part of their faith and they are obliged to wear it.
"There can be no doubt that this (French) law represents a gross breach of human rights, including the right to religious expression and worship. Muslims now face the threat of draconian laws being adopted in other European countries, including Germany. This must not be allowed to happen."
She said: "If we value free speech and democracy, we must be willing to allow people to express their ethnic and religious identities."
