Paris, France, Oct 21, 2004 / 22:00 pm
French schools have begun expelling Muslim girls for wearing headscarves to class in defiance of a new law banning religious symbols.
The expulsion of at least five girls since Tuesday were the first since the law went into effect at the start of the academic year, Sept. 2.
The explulsions were kept low-key for fear of endangering two French journalists, Christian Chesnot and Christian Malbrunot, who were taken hostage in Iraq by the Islamic Army of Iraq. They are in their third month of captivity, and their captors have demanded that the law be abolished. The French government refused.
More expulsions were expected this week. Most are Muslim girls, but Sikh boys refusing to remove their turbans also risk being expelled.