Students in North Cyprus protest refusal of authorities to sign their diplomas for wearing headscarf in graduation photos

There was protest on Friday at the officials of the ‘education ministry’, reportedly, did not sign the diplomas of 51 female pupils because the young women had submitted photos in which they were wearing headscarves and according to the ‘ministry,’ the use of such photos was against the rules.

The row started on Thursday evening during the graduation ceremony at the Hala Sultan religious high school in Haspolat, when 51 pupils were not given their diplomas because it was not signed, a decision that caused an uproar.

According to a report by Turkish Cypriot daily, Kibris online, parents of the girls gathered on Friday morning outside the ‘education ministry’ demanding a solution to the problem, while the ‘attorney-general’ was called in to weigh in on the matter following which the authorities made a U-turn and agree they would sign the school-leaving diplomas of 51 female pupils.

According to ‘Education Minister’ Cemal Ozyigit the ‘attorney-general’ had ruled that these pupils’ diplomas could be signed.

‘Deputy education minister’, Asim Idris, told daily Kibris Postasi that according to the rules, people need to be without Islamic attire in photos on their diplomas and other documents.

According to report, the issue, reportedly, drew the attention of the Turkish government, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusolglu asking the TRNC to solve the matter.

The school, which was opened in 2011, is viewed with scepticism by many in north Cyprus who fear it promotes religion and strays from the principle of laicism.

Ozgiyit said in a statement that his ‘ministry’ has made sure that, just like every other school, the school in question was offering a scientific, democratic and secular education, “and that our children are nourished by a culture of tolerance and that they feel themselves part of this society and the state.”

On the issue of the photos, he said that they had detected an inconsistency with decisions concerning pictures on official documents such as ID cards and diplomas, and “in this sense we resorted to the opinion of the ‘Attorney-general’.”

He also said that this issue should not be politicised by anyone.

‘Finance Minister’, Serdar Denktash, had said he was against this decision of the ‘education ministry’. In his social media account, he said that these children had chosen that school due to their religious convictions and they had chosen to don the headscarf during their studies there, but they were now being told that they need to change the way they dress to get their diplomas.

Edited from Havadis and Cyprus Mail 
Photo source: Havadis