Schoolchild Punished for Refusing to Memorise a Verse of the Koran

Case information
Incident date
Country
France
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Societal Sphere
  • Education
Religious Freedom / Discrimination
  • Parental Rights and Education
  • Freedom of Religion

A child at a Catholic school in France was punished for refusing to memorise a verse of the Koran in January 2013. At the school of Notre Dame de St Mihiel in the Meuse, Lorraine, a pupil refused to memorise a verse of the Koran as a part of a class on Islam. Two mothers arranged a meeting with the teacher to explain their disagreement with the punishment. Instead of removing the punishment or allowing the student to opt-out of the class the school director informed the mother of the punished child that she considers removing the child from the school.