Tripoli, 3 March 2014:
Female pupils in Sirte are to wear mandatory hijabs under an order issued by the town’s Ministry of . . .[restrict]Awqaf and Islamic Affairs office.
Primary and secondary school students are obliged, under the new ruling, to wear the Islamic jalabia and a scarf covering their hair. News agency Al-Wasat reported that the decision was made under pressure from Ansar Al-Sharia which, it claimed, had influence within Sirte’s education authority.
The ruling has provoked mixed reactions on social media networks with some welcoming the move and others claiming it is the first step in turning Libya into a more Islamic state. Some criticised the move as restricting women’s freedom, pointing out that such freedom was one of the principal goals of the 17 February Revolution. [/restrict]
