Girl Refusing to Wear Hijab Sparks Riot at Migrant Center
The Syrian girl was supported by Syrians and Iraqis who fought against the Afghanis who were harassing her at a Belgium center for migrants.
Tue, February 23, 2016
http://www.clarionproject.org/news/girl-refusing-wear-hijab-sparks-riot-migrant-centerA Syrian girl who was not hearing a hijab sparked a massive brawl at a migrant center in Belgium. The fight, which pitted Syrians and Iraqis on one side (defending the girl) and Afghanis on the other side, resulted in 11 arrests and multiple injuries.
“Two or three Afghans had been targeting a young girl from Syria for a couple of days because she was not covering her head,” explained An Luyten, a Red Cross spokesperson, who said that authorities did not see the fight coming.
Luyten explained that although several other girls were not wearing hijabs, the Afghanis were, for some reason, after this girl in particular.
The harassment had been going on for a number of days, and the girl reportedly became fed up with the situation. An argument ensued, different sides formed and the fight – which involved the smashing of chairs, broomsticks and garbage cans – broke out.
Secretary of State for Asylum, Migration and Administrative Simplification, Theo Francken, commenting about the incident, said, “I find it totally unacceptable that some young Afghans find it necessary to tell Syrian girls to wear a headscarf and that they should not dress like Western girls. They come here, they are guests here. We are not theirs. They have to adapt to our rules.”
