Outward expressions of faith

As a young Muslim girl going to public school, Maryam Shahrebani recalls some kids calling her "pillow head" when she attended East High School. Now as a freshman at the University of Utah, 18-year-old Shahrebani says her hijab, or head scarf, draws more questions about her faith than gibes.

Many people cover their heads out of respect for their faith and out of reverence for God, but for hundreds of children who wear religious head coverings, being different in the public school system, where religion is often off-limits, can be trying.

"My mom and dad always taught me just laugh with them, just to be the better person and don't let them get to you," Shahrebani said.

Across the world, many Muslim women cover their heads, neck and throat as a gesture of modesty. To many in the West the hijab has also become the symbol of female oppression and worse yet, terrorism. Many female Muslims who attend Utah's public schools, however, say they find covering their head liberating, and say they are judged on their character rather than their looks.

Last April a 12-year-old Muslim girl, wearing a hijab, was assaulted in the hallway of a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., middle school. According to news reports, the girl was hit across her face with a leather belt and was allegedly called "Osama" by schoolmates, along with derogatory remarks about her head scarf.

The cultural backlash after 9/11 has also spread overseas. Starting in September, the French government will ban all religious head coverings in public schools, including hijab, Jewish yarmulke and Sikh turbans. As well, the government plans to ban large Christian crosses or any "overt religious symbols."

The move by France, which has the largest Muslim population of all European countries, has sparked outrage by some religious communities there. Although for the most part, headdresses among students in the United States have not blossomed into a national debate, there are incidents.

In Oklahoma, the parents of sixth-grade Muslim girl sued the Oklahoma School District after the girl was suspended from school for wearing her head scarf in apparent violation of the district's dress code. The district prohibited students from wearing hats, caps, bandannas or hooded jackets inside school buildings, yet made no exception for religious reasons.

The suit caught the attention of the U.S. Justice Department, which joined the suit against the school district.