Sikh group plans lawsuit against French religious dress ban News
Sikh group plans lawsuit against French religious dress ban

[JURIST] A US-based Sikh group has announced Tuesday that it will use EU anti-discrimination law to challenge a current French law [JURIST report] banning religious dress [JURIST news archive], including Sikh turbans, in state schools. United Sikhs [advocacy website] claims that the law is racially discriminatory in regards to Sikh turbans, stating that "Sikh turbans were not religious in nature but derived from the 'ethnic character of the Sikh community.'" The law has been a subject of controversy since its 2004 inception, especially among the French Muslim population, who were barred from wearing headscarfs. In November 2004 three Sikh boys were expelled [JURIST report] from a school outside Paris for wearing turbans. AFP has more.