Excerpt:
A Saudi student, who recently gained a scholarship to pursue higher medical studies in France, has decided not to go as she has been told that she would not be allowed to wear her hijab there.
H. Abdulhadi, who did not want to give her first name, said she wanted to study Obstetrics and Gynecology in France, and has now decided not to go due to the country's strict rules on hijab. "There should be a clear agreement between our two governments by which Muslims going there for education could keep their hijabs on," she said.
According to an official at the French Embassy, the law does not allow students to wear hijabs in medical schools in France. "This is only in hospitals. They can do what they want outside," he said, adding that the rule is not directed at Muslims alone, but applies to people of all faiths.
"You are not allowed to display any symbols of religion," said the official, adding that this is a law that cannot be changed and is followed in some other countries.
Abdulhadi, who has already spent over SR7,000 studying French, said she is not worried about wasting the money and losing her scholarship. "The hijab is part of my faith, something that I cannot ignore. ... Officials need to sort this out," she added.