‘Unacceptable’: Italian Officials Outraged After Girl’s Hair Shaved Off for Not Wearing Muslim Veil

Italians react strongly to culture clash

© Cheryl Ravelo / Reuters

The story of a migrant girl, whose head was shaved by her mother for not wearing a Muslim veil, has sparked outrage among Italian politicians, some of whom advised migrants who are unwilling to embrace the Italian lifestyle to “change country.”

The 14-year-old girl of Bangladeshi origins, residing in Bologna, managed to trick her parents for a period of time – wearing the veil at home, but taking it off while at school.

The deception apparently ended on Wednesday, as the girl was caught by her mother and promptly punished by having her head shaved for not wearing a veil.

Her lack of hair raised suspicions in school the next day, and the girl told her teachers about the punishment and alleged months-long tensions with parents over not complying with their religious beliefs. School officials promptly notified the police and social services of the incident.

The girl has been taken away from the family and placed under the care of local social services along with her sisters, ANSA news agency reported. The parents were placed under investigation for mistreatment of their children.

Politicians agree

The controversial punishment has sparked outrage in Italy, as many politicians are raising concerns over migrants who do not want to blend in with Italian society and comply with local laws and traditions.

Bologna Mayor Virginio Merola condemned the punishment as cruel and unacceptable, and advised those who do not wish to comply with Italian traditions to “change country.”

“If you want to be Italians you must adapt to Italian laws and our constitution. You cannot have different attitudes, otherwise you [should] change the country,” Merola said, as quoted by Il Resto del Carino. 

He called the case a sign of “authoritarianism,” stressing that parents coming to Italy should know that “this is not an acceptable method of education.”

Former Italian PM Matteo Renzi praised the swift actions of Bologna’s social services and the decision to take the girl away from the parents.

“For all of us who are fathers and mothers, such decision can be painful, but it is fair to say that this is a GOOD choice,” Renzi wrote in a Facebook post.

He noted that there can be “no hospitality without the rule of law,” adding that that it “must apply to ALL.”

Even Muslims agree

The Italian Muslim community has also condemned the punishment, stating that wearing the veil for women is not actually obligatory, as some Muslims who stick to “popular Islam” might think.

Despite existing Muslim traditions, “we believe that a choice to wear the veil should remain a choice,” the president of the Union of Islamic Communities of Italy and Imam of Florence Izzeddin Elzir said. 

“Faith is stronger than a garment, forcing the veil has nothing to do with religion,” he pointed out.

Man Shaved, Paraded on Donkey for ‘Forcefully Converting’ Hindus to Christianity

Members of militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal kidnapped and maimed a Christian man in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly converting Hindus to his own faith. The mob shaved off the man’s hair and eyebrows and paraded him through the town.

The crowd accused Awdhesh Kumar Savita of luring Hindus on the pretext of attending a satsang, a religious group meeting traditional for Indian religions, where they were allegedly forced to consume beef and made to walk on pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses to prove their conversion to Christianity.

© News18 - English / YouTube

The victim of last week’s attack was eventually rescued when local police superintendent N. Kolanchi reached the spot of the incident in Jalaun District, Uttar Pradesh. In a statement to local media, Kolanchi said that five assailants were arrested, along with a barber who had been hired to shave Awadhesh’s head.

Awadhesh denied that he had forced anyone to convert to Christianity and filed an official complaint against some 25 Bajrang Dal members and 200 unidentified people, who witnessed his torture.

“I have been practicing Christianity for the last few years. But I have never insisted on converting anybody,” the 35-year-old was quoted as having told the police.

Sangam Jatav, one of the assailants who filed a counter-complaint, alleged that one month ago Awadhesh and some of his friends “promised me a job and financial help if I agreed to meet some of their associates. But on reaching there, they took me to a church and forced me to walk on the posters of Hindu gods and goddesses and eat beef,” the 30-year-old said. He added that there were six persons in the church at that time and they declared that he had been converted to Christianity because he had eaten beef.

This 'militant Hindu group' obviously knows nothing about Christianity except that they don't like it. There is no possibility that this guy's story is true, but we shouldn't be surprised, they made up lies about Jesus too, before they crucified Him.

Rejoice Awdhesh, you have been counted worthy.

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. Acts 5:41.

The police superintendent said that the rest of the group involved in the proceedings “are currently hiding out” while the police are “conducting raids to arrest them.” He also said the police are probing the charges that Awadhesh was forcing conversions.

Jalaun District is home to many religious communes, and is sensitive in terms of religion, with even minor incidents apt to spark unrest. There are 41 big temples in Jalaun town, compared to only 33 schools and colleges.

The Bajrang Dal group is known for enforcing a program of reconversion to Hinduism in the area. Forced reconversion, no doubt!

Jalaun district, Uttar Pradesh, India