• PM Sonko’s comments on banning Islamic veils in schools drew backlash from Senegal’s Catholic community.
• The controversy includes St. Joan of Arc School’s ban on veils and debates about secularism in a predominantly Muslim country.
Speaking at an event on 30 July, Mr Sonko said that “certain things can no longer be tolerated in this country … we will no longer allow certain schools to ban the wearing of the veil.”
He went on to say, “Beware of institutions refusing to accept a girl simply because she is veiled as they would be adopting Western culture.”
With Senegal’s population being 95 percent Muslim, allowing bans on Islamic dress for Muslim girls in Catholic schools has struck many as absurd.
Despite this, PM Sonko’s remarks sparked outrage within Senegal’s Catholic community, suggesting that a Muslim girl should not wear Islamic attire while attending their schools.
In a statement issued on August 7, members of the National Laity Council (CNL) expressed “deep concern over the clumsy and potentially divisive” remarks made by the prime minister.”
The statement characterised Senegal as a “melting pot of cultures that have coexisted in harmony for a very long time, long before the advent of the Abrahamic religions that we have welcomed.”
Debates regarding the Islamic dress code for girls in schools have previously caused controversy in Senegal. In September 2019, prior to the new school term, the prestigious St. Joan of Arc School in Dakar implemented internal rules mandating that both girls and boys wear uniforms “with heads uncovered.” On the first day of the term, 22 girls with hijab were refused entry to the school. The CNL has since argued that these internal regulations are intended to maintain order and support the schools’ missions, and do not infringe on students’ freedom of conscience.
