Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2013-11-13

The dreams of two Muslim girls in the Czech Republic have been shattered after a hijab ban in a nursing secondary school in Prague forced them to quit.

Refusing to compromise their faith, 23 year old Nasra and 25 year old Zelmina said they were discriminated against for wearing the hijab.

"The principal summoned me and told me: 'If you want to be in the school, you must not wear the scarf," Nasra, was quoted by Czech Television (CT), Prague Daily Monitor.

"I said this was against my religion as I am a Muslim."

The students’ problems erupted after they joined the nursing school in Prague.

Attending the school, the two women were asked to take off their hijab to continue studying in the school.

Although Nasra suggested a way to change her hijab style, by wearing it in a way that covers hair only, as a compromise, the school principal didn't approve the idea.

A day after the principal's refusal, Nasra left the school.

Under pressure, Zelmina found herself forced to attend several classes without hijab. Yet, she felt something 'missing'.

"I was in the classroom and I could not concentrate myself. I could not do anything as I constantly had to think of my missing something," Zelmina, who left school two months after Nasra, told CT.

"Why am I without the scarf here? I have my rights and religion,” she added, decided to leave as well.

Defending schools rules, the school's principal argued that the school had committed ‘no mistakes’.

The principal, Ivanka Kohoutova said the school can impose its own rules as the law didn't mention wearing hijab.

While wearing hijab has no regulations under the Czech Republic law, the nursing school rules bans headscarves.

The principal said that the two girls’ incidents were the first of its kind, adding that her school, which is attended by a large number of foreign students from four continents, didn't encounter a similar problem before.

She also claimed that the two girls objected to compulsory physical education and the conditions of compulsory practice, an allegation the girls deny.

Human rights organizations described the school’s stance as 'discriminatory'.

The Czech Republic, which has a population of more than 10 million people and is home to around 15,000 Muslims.

In 2004, Prague acknowledged Islam as an official religion, giving Muslims rights on equal footing to Christians and Jews. – Agencies

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