Egypt: Non-Muslim Children Punished for Refusing to Recite Koran, Wear Hijab

Schools across Egypt are forcing Christian children and those of other religions to wear the Muslim headscarf and quote the Koran by heart or they will be punished and kicked out of school. 

Muslims are also being punished if they do not wear their hijabs. 

One 12-year-old Muslim girl named Rahman Salem was forced to leave her school lesson after removing her hijab and was banned from participating in any activities at her school in northern Egypt. 

"I was made to stand all alone in the school courtyard," she said. "The headmistress later came to me and said, 'Here in school, you put on the headscarf. Outside, you may do as you wish.'"

"No girl can show up with her hair showing. They all have to wear the hijab," Salem said. 

Christian girls also have to wear a hijab. As soon as the school day ends, they remove it.

Another school in the same province required all its female students to wear a hijab. 

The school's head teacher posted a large sign saying that Islamic dress is now a part of the girls' uniforms. 

Seven-year-old Christian Viola Samir said her Islamic religious studies teacher held back eight Christian students in her class of 35 and beat the students who had not memorized verses from the Koran. 

Samir's father told a Christian persecution website that his daughter had also been punished by her teacher. 

"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," he said. "The Christian religious studies teacher complained to the headmaster, but he took no disciplinary action against the Muslim teacher."

"In the end, the teacher allowed the Christian children to leave the class to join their Christian studies class," he added. 

Christian students in Egypt normally move to a different classroom during religious studies where they can learn about Christianity, while  Muslim students study Islam in another classroom. 

A boy from a different school in the same town was also punished by his teacher after not reciting verses from the Koran. 

"Once, the teacher, Mohammed, 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," his father said. "My son had failed to repeat the Koran text by heart when prompted to."

Another Christian student was reportedly pinned down by classmates while his teacher beat him. 

"The teacher made the other students pin down my son as he gave him the bastinado, caning him on his bare feet. It seems only Christians are given this punishment," the boy's father said. "They're 12 out of 42 in my son's class."

All  the parents in the area said their kids hate going to school and are often absent because of bullying from teachers and other students.