Oleg Smolin
First Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on education Oleg Smolin in an interview with radio station “Moscow speaking” criticized adopted by the Chechen Parliament a law allowing schools in the Republic the wearing of the hijab.
According to the Deputy, the question needs to be expanded. Smolin recalled that the law “On education” implies a secular education, but it does not prevent to introduce the subject “Fundamentals of religious culture and secular ethics”.
“I am a supporter of secular education and believe that, ideally, religious beliefs, religious symbolism should remain a threshold state and municipal educational institutions. But in this case, all religions should be treated the same. If you can not hijab, it is impossible and crosses, icons and other symbols,” — said Smolin.
At the same time the first Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on state building and law Mikhail Emelyanov said that the new Chechen Parliament, the document is not contrary to the Constitution. “In the national republics, dominated by a certain religion, a particular ethnic community, I think, such decisions can be taken. Forcibly impose the General rules without taking into account the specificity of the population, I think not. It will only lead to unnecessary tensions,” —said the Deputy.
Before March 31, it became known that the Chechen Parliament adopted a law, according to which the educational organizations of the Republic in establishing requirements for the mandatory form should take into account the right of students to wear clothing or symbols according to folk traditions and religious beliefs, if not inconsistent with Federal law and does not harm the health of citizens.
The debate on headscarves began when, as in Mordovia teachers and students at the school in the village of Belozerye banned from wearing traditional Muslim clothing items, explaining that the prevention of extremism. The Minister of education Olga Vasilyeva supported this decision, noting that the constitutional court ruled that the hijab has no place in school.
In response, the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov said that the Russian Constitution guarantees every citizen freedom of conscience and religion. He later added that the ban on wearing headscarves in public places is a killer for companies.