D.C .C trying to involve ethnic minority in the coming Council elections المجلس البلدي يشرك الاجانب في انتخابات البلدية

The meeting took place in the Dublin City Council fancy Building. It is a good idea that the council will involve people from different ethnic backgrounds in the coming council elections. The meeting was discussing the way to make people aware of the election and participate in it.
لقد اجتمع ممثلو الجاليات في مبني بلدية دبلن الجميل. انها فكرة رائعة ان يسعى المجلس البلدي بان يشرك الاجانب في انتخابات البلدية. وكانت المقابلة تناقش كيفية رفع وعي المواطن الغير ايرلندي بان يشارك في الانتخابات والتصويت .





You don't need to be an Irish passport holder to vote. You can be a foreigner who came to the country for any reason but you should have 6 month stay before you are eligible to do so.
لا تحتاج الى ان تكون حائزا على جواز السفر الايرلندي حتى يكون حق التصويت. ممكن ان تكون اجنبيا ولكن يجب ان يكون لك ستة اشهر اقامة في البلد قبل ان يكون حق التصويت.

There will be posters posted every where inviting every one to vote and have a say in the elections.
سوف تكون هناك ملصقات تعلق في الا ماكن العامة للتعريف بهذه الانتخابات وتدعوكم للمشاركة انشاء الله

Report by Dr. Bashir

The regulation does not prohibit wearing of the head scarf (Hijab) ان الحجاب ليس محرما في المدارس

Minister Batt O Keeff

Minister of Education and science

We the Muslim Community Lobby of Ireland would like to express thanks to all those who helped to diffuse and depoliticise the Hijab issue.
لوبي الجالية الاسلامية في ايرلندا يشكر جميع من حاول اخراج مشكلة الحجاب من الداشرة السياسية الى الدائرة المدرسية.
Muslim parents are a bit nervous about the situation that their daughters have been put in. Therefore we approached the Ministry of Education and science to have the final say and the sent the following peace of regulation. The regulation does not prohibit wearing of the head scarf (Hijab), which is good, but it leaves it to the decision of the board of governors of the school. These regulations are the same as those given to the Wexford school. so far ministry of Education still use these regulations.
آباء وامهات المسملين في ايرلندا قلقين على ما آلت اليه مسألة ولهذا طلبنا من وزارة التعليم بان توضح الامر وقد ردت بهذا القانون الذي هو يبين ان الحجاب ليس محرما في المدارس وان امناء المدرسة لهم الحق في التدخل في اللبس المدرسي وهو ليس من شان وزارة التعليم في شئ. وان هذه هي اللائحة التي اعطيت لمدير المدرسة في وكسفورد حيث ان وزارة التعليم الايرلندية ليس لديها لائحة اخرى.

In relation to the matter of wearing the hijab in class, the position is as follows:

Section 15(2)(b) of the Education Act 1998 charges Boards of Management with a duty to "uphold, and be accountable to the patron for so upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school…".
لائحة 15 (2)ب القانون يتحدث عن ان ادارة المدرسة يجب ان تعنى بالمحافظة على الروح التربوية, الثقافية, الاخلاقيه, الدينية, الاجتماعية واللغوية والوحانية والعادات والتقاليد التي تتميز بها المدرسة.

Section 15(2)(e) of the Act balances this with the requirement for a Board of Management to "have regard to the principles and requirements of a democratic society and have respect and promote respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions languages and ways of life in society".
15(2)(e)
وانه يجب على الادارة بان توازن بين " مبادئ ومطالب المجتمع الديمقراطي يجب ان يبعث على الاحترام ويحترم اختلاف القيم والمعتقد والعادات واللغات وتعدد طرق الحياة في المجتمع."

Individual school authorities are responsible for the drawing up of school rules including requirements in relation to the wearing of school uniforms. In addition, some schools may have a dress code which usually deals with such matters as hair styles and the wearing of jewellery and rings.
وبهذا لادارت المدارس الحق في اختيار ما يتناسب من لبس والمحافظة على اللبس المدرسي وتحديد بعض الاشياء مثل تسريحة الشعر ولبس الخواتم والجواهر في المدرسة.

It is a matter for the Board of Management to decide on a schools policy in relation to the above issue, and it would not be appropriate for the Department to direct or advise a school in relation to any aspect of its policy on dress code.
I hope this information is of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Carol Slevin

on behlf of the Education and Science Ministry

Policy U-turn on hijab in Irish schools تراجع وزارة التعليم الايرلندية بالنسبة للحجاب

The Department of Education outlined its policy on students wearing hijab in a letter to a Dublin school as long ago as 2005. It told a Dublin teacher that she should allow a student to wear the hijab, a Muslim headscarf covering the head but not the face, during PE.
وزارة التعليم الايرلندية تظهر
قرارها الصادر في سنة الفين وخمسة بالسماح للحجاب غطاء الراس في المدارس الايرلندية بدون نقاب او غطاء الوجه
The clearly defined policy contrasts with the lack of guidance given to a principal in Gorey Community School last year when the same issue arose. He was told that it was up to the school’s board of management to decide whether pupils could wear Muslim headdress.
المشكلة ان وزارة التعليم لم تعلم مدير المدرسة بوكسفورد بهذا القرار الذي اتخذ سابقا في الالفين وخمسة
The advice issued in 2005 is contained in a letter released under the Freedom of Information Act. Brian Hayes, Fine Gael’s education spokesman, said it showed that the department had shifted opinion on the wearing of the hijab since first issuing advice three years ago. “It shows that instead of drawing up clear guidelines and sticking to them, the department has just confused its position in the intervening period,” he said. Responding last week the education department said it has asked Conor Lenihan, the integration minister, to address the wearing of religious clothing in a new policy document, the Intercultural Education Strategy. In 2005, Matthew Ryan, the principal officer in the department’s post-primary administration section, issued a clear directive to Our Lady’s Grove in Goatstown. In a letter he stated: “Where a school admits a person of a religious denomination but then seeks to impose a dress code requirement which runs contrary to that student’s religious beliefs, it may constitute unlawful discrimination against that student.” The letter states that the Equal Status Act 2000 prohibits a school from discriminating against a student on religious grounds. “It follows that this department would expect schools to allow students of that denomination \ to wear the hijab and indeed it is our understanding that this approach is being followed by schools,” the department wrote at the time. Liam Egan, the father of the girl from Gorey Community School whose wearing of the hijab prompted her principal to seek advice from the department, said that equality legislation had not changed since 2005. “The law has not changed, so why has the department changed its position? Since 7/7, this has become more of a political issue. My daughter wore the hijab all through her first year in school and it was not contentious. Then, at the end of the year, it suddenly became an issue,” he said. Egan has helped set up the Irish Hijab Campaign to lobby for the right of female Muslim students to wear the hijab. The group says that pupils have worn the hijab “for years” without any problem and that the argument that the next step is the wearing of the niqab — a headdress revealing only the eyes — or burqa — a garment covering the whole body — is alarmist. “Not one single child in Ireland wears a niqab or burqa,” he said. “The people who raise that issue want to provoke fear and suspicion.” Egan said that more than one-third of all Muslims in Ireland were now native Irish. “This is not an immigrant issue. It’s about freedom to practice religious beliefs. People say we should assimilate, but I was born in Wexford — I am Irish and Muslim. We should not follow the lead of France, where there is no tolerance.” Source: Sunday Times

The Irish Socialist Workers Party solidarity with Muslims in their Hijab Campaign

The Muslim Community Lobby (MCL) would like to express our thanks for the positive stance taken by the Irish Socialist Workers Party. MCL would like to see a positive stance or press release by the other political parties as well.

The Irish Socialist Workers party is looking for new members an opportunity for those who would like to engage in politics.

نشكر حزب العمال الاشتراكي الايرلندي على اتخاذه موقف ايجابي ازاء قضية الحجاب في المدارس ونهيب بمن له الميول السياسي من العرب والمسلمين بان يشتركوا في هذا الحزب حتى يكونوا دوما معنا على الخط وجزاء لموقفهم الشجاع .

Public Meeting on the Hijab, Racism and Education

Saturday 26th July 4pmWynn's Hotel, Lower Abbey St

Speakers: Sinead Kennedy (SWP)

and speaker from Islamic Cultural Centre

A Community school in Wexford recently became the focus of a debate about the headscarf or hijab,that muslim women wear.

حدث الامر في مدرسة في وكسفورد بجنوب شرق ايرلندا. وكانت بنت مسلمة اسمها شكينا وتبلغ من العمر اربعة اعشرة سنة, من اب ايرلندي ابيض اسلم حديتا اسمه لييم أييقن وام بريطانية سمراء اسمها بفرلي ماكنزي اسلمت حديثا. وقد طرح مدير المدرسة نيكولاس سوييتمان على امناء المدرسة موضوع منعها من لبس الحجاب غطاء الراس, والزامها بالزي المدرسي الايرلندي. فكان رد امناء المدرسة بعدم التعرض لها وتركها تلبس الحجاب مع الزي المدرسي. فلم يقنع مدير المدرسة بجواب الامناء, واثار الموضوع مع وزارة التعليم الايرلندية التي بدورها احالتها الى اعضاء البرلمان. ومن هنا اصبحت مشلكة الحجاب تاخذ شكلها الحالي.

14-year-old Shekinah Egan's parents requested that she be allowed to wear the hijab to school in Gorey, Co. Wexford.

Her school board of management granted permission but the principal referred the question to the Department of Education, which refused to provide the guidance sought.

Nicolas Sweetman, Principal of the school, has called for the Department of Education to issue an official policy for schools.While the Department of Education has said very little politicians such as Chris Andrews of Fianna Fail and Labour Party spokesperson on Education and Science Ruairi Quinn have both said that headscarves should not be worn in state schools.

Ruairi Quinn's statement was particularly obnoxious as he also claims to be a socialist - even of a very mild sort.He said that 'If people want to come into a western society that is Christian and secular, they need to conform to the rules and regulations of the country.

روري كوين عضو برلماني متطرف سياسي يساري يقول انه يحمل افكارا اشتراكية , وبهذا يريد حزب العمال الاشتراكي بان يوضح الفكرة الاشتراكية بان يكون مبتعدا تماما عن اقوال روري كوين المتطرف وامثاله مثل كرس اندرو من الحزب الحاكم الفينا فيول. ومن المعروف ان الحزب الحاكم له راي في ان لا يلغى الحجاب من المدارس ويجب ان يكون مصاحبا باللون وشكل الزي المدرسي.

'Quinn is obviously contradictory when he says that a country can be both 'Christina and secular'. But his main point was that migrants coming into Ireland must conform to 'our' way of life.

Yet there is no single national culture which has existed from all time. Irish national culture has been changed and transformed by successive waves of migrants, by interactions with, and opposition to, empire; and by the long Irish tradition of migration itself.

Today we live in a global multi-cultural world where the main problem we face is racism - the attempt to put down and discriminate against people through all sorts of cultural codes.The reactions of Ruairi Quinn and Chris Andrews is in stark contrast to an Irish Times /TNS MRBI poll in which almost half of people surveyed feel the wearing of hijabs or headscarves by Muslim students should be allowed in State schools.

وبما اننا نعيش في عالم متعدد الثقافات والعادات والاديان فانه يجب ان لا نتخذ قرارات تثري العنصرية في البلد وان جريدة الايرش تاميز قد اعلنت عن استبيان تبين فيه بان الحجاب لا يجب ان يلغى من المدارس.

This debate has to be seen in the wider context of what is happening in the rest of Europe as young muslim women are being targeted in the post-9/11 so-called war on terror.

وان هذ النقاش يبين ماذا حدث بعد احداث سبتمر ومن اسوأ الاشياء ان تكون المراة هي التى تتحمل عبأ المشكلة

The Dutch government have banned muslim women from wearing the Burqa (full facial veil) in public places.

الحكومة الهولندية قد منعت لبس البرقة او النقاب غطاء الوجه في الاماكن العامة

Some German states ban teachers from wearing headscarves in public schools and is an on-going issue in Britain.

الحكومة الالمانية منعت لبس الحجاب غطاء الراس في المدارس الحكومية وهناك نقاش بمنعه في بريطانيا

It is a worrying that Ireland's politicians are following Europe's islamo-scaremongering just as the economy is facing a recession and cuts in public spending.

انه لمن المثير للذعر بان نرى السياسيين الاروبيين يثيرون الذعر والخوف من الاسلام فوبيا وان المراة المسلمة تتحمل العبئ في حين ان الاقتصاد يتدهور وتقطع الميزانية

Migrants will be among the first to find themselves victims of these cuts. It is no coincidence that the Dept of Education has pulled the funding for the Integrate Ireland Language Teaching which provides English classes.

وبهذا فقد اغلقت وزارة التعليم مدارس اللغة للاجئيين والمهاجرين في كل البلد ومنعت دعمها ماليا مع انها كانت ذات فائدة كبيرة انظر هذا الرابط

Link Demonstration and protest against the closure of schools in front of the 'Dail' 3th July 2008

The Socialist Workers Party are opposed to islamophobia and any ban on the hijab.

وبهذا يعارض حزب العمال الاشتراكي الايرلندي اي اسلاموفوبيا او منعا للحجاب

وبهذا نشكر حزب العمال الاشتراكي الايرلندي لتوضيحة الرؤية ونرجوا من الجميع الاتصال بهم وشكرهم

Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers PartyAddress: PO Box 1648, Dublin, Co. DublinContact: Phone: 01 8722682 Fax: 01 8723838Email: info@swp.ieWebsite: http://www.swp.ie/

A well respected prominent figure of the muslim community in Ireland Irish Muslim Convert Mrs. Asiya Al Tawash defending the Hijab and women choice.

الاخت اسيا الطواش حديثة العهد بالاسلام لها مكانة مرموقة في الجالية الاسلامية الايرلندية تدافع عن الحجاب وتؤكد على حق المراة في ارتداء الحجاب وخاصة في المدارس

Asiya Al Tawash said: "Ruiary Quin!!! what happened to Ruiary Quinn?" She insists that multiculturalism is the way forward and to keep the muslim woman identity contrary to what Ruiary and others think or say.

أسيا الطواش تثري فكرة التقاء الثقافات والحضارات على اسس ثقافية وحضارية لتعميم الفائدة وليس الاندماج الكلي الذي يطمس شخصية المراة المسلمة

Beverley Mckenzie, (British muslim convert) and Mother of Shekinah Egan answering quetions

Beverly Mckenzei Chairwoman of the Hijab committee and Lorraine O'Connor (Irish muslim convert) talking about the Hijab committee

Beverley Mckenzie spoke of Brian hayes (TD) distening himself from being opposing the Hijab in school after a telephone conversation with Brian.

بفرلي قالت ان "براين هييز تراجع في اقواله بمنع الحجاب من المدارس في حديث هاتفي معه"

واقول: الامر يبقى معلقا حتى نرى تحركا ايجابيا منه

Sinead Kennedy is a member of The Irish Socialist Workers Party showing solidarity with Muslims in their Hijab Campaign. Sinead Kennedy has written on culture and politics, women and the Celtic Tiger. She is a long standing campaigner against war and for women’s rights.

شينيد كندي المتحدثة باسم حزب العمال الاشتراكي الايرلندي تدفع بحملة الحجاب الى الامام وتعارض اقوال معارضي الحجاب

Sinead Kennedy 2

She tried to clarify the long standing comment by Karl Heinrich Marx saying "Religion is the opium of the people" that it did not mean what it says, click on the video.

شينيد تعقب على مقولة ماركس "الدين افيون الشعوب " بانها لا تعني ما تحمله الكلمات من معاني وانما تعني ذلك لمن يريدالتكاسل

She was thorough and spoke so well of the events happening with regard to migrants and multicultural ideas, the Hijab and Islamo phobia .

Irish born Liam Egan new Muslim Convert father of Shekinah.

He said:" There is a real person under that Hijab who should be respected for what she wants to do."

It couldn't be expressed better, thanks Liam. المسلم الايرلندي لييم أيقن, ابو شكينا, قال: "انه بداخل الحجاب امراة لابد من احترامها ودعها تفعل ما ارادت بدلا من اتخاذ القرار نيابة عنها"

واقول انها كلمة صائبة من مجمع الكلم يا لييم

School days' colleague talking about Ruiary Quinn احد زملاء روري كوين يتهجم على ارائه ويفندها

The rest of the videos are questions by the audience اسئلة للمتحدثين من الحضور

Attack on Saudi Arabia and Hijab تهجم على السعودية والحجاب من اسياوي

Video and report by Bashir

InIntegrating Ireland AGM

The Meeting took place on Friday 11th July 2008
Whitefriar Carmelite Community Centre, Gymnasium 2nd floor,
Aungier Street , Dublin 2

Introduction to Integrating Ireland By Aki Stavrou

Introduction to Volunteering Ireland by Chiara Magini

Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn Hijab Debate with Bashir at the Dial

Debating Ruiari Quinn and Brian Hayes at the Irish Parliament room in the (Dial) Tuesday 8/7/2008.

ندوة بين روري كوين من حزب العمال وبراين هيز من فينا قيل وبشير من اللوبي المسلم في البرلمان الايرلندي (الدووييل) يوم الثلاثاء الماضي 8/7/2008

وكان محور النقاش هو العلمانية والحجاب واحترام الاديان في الدول العلمانية. وقد قرأت آية الحجاب في القران بالانجليزي لاقناعهما بانها قانون اسلامي وليس عادة. وان النساء لهن كامل الحرية في أي بلد في العالم بان يرتدين الحجاب ام لا ولا للاباء يد في عقابهن اذا لم يردن لباس الحجاب لانه امر ايماني. وان بناتنا يرتدين الحجاب بارادتهن كما تفعل المراة المسلمة عند ما تعتنق الاسلام. وانهن يلبسن الحجاب منتاسقا مع البدلة المدرسية في اللون والذوق. وان الحجاب ليس شعارا للاسلام وان شعارنا هو الهلال الذي تجده فوق مآذن المساجد. وان السياسيين لا يجب ان يتدخلوا في امر مثل هذا الا اذا كانوا يؤيدون الحجاب. وان عداء المسلمين في ايرلندا والعالم ليس من الحكمة في شئ. وان الايرلنديين كانوا يفجرون لندن وبرمنجهام وكانوا مطلوبيين للمحاكم البريطانية فلا يجب ان تضيقوا على المسلمين بسبب دينهم. وان اذا لم نستطع المحافظة على ديننا فماذا تريدوننا ان نفعل ؟ هل تريدوننا ان نشرب الخمر ونخرج الى المراقص ونتعاطى الحشيش والافيون والابر وما الى ذلك ام تريدون ان نتقابل في نقاط ما بين الثقافة الاسلامية والثقافة الايرلندية. ثم ان الايرلنديين في بريطانيا وامريكا لا زالوا يحتفظون بثقافتهم وعاداتهم بل لهم حانات خاصة واماكن تجمع خاصة ولا زالوا يحيون بهاديز داي فلما لا نحترم ثقافاتنا ونفهم بعضنا ونتفهم مشاكلنا ونعيش في سلام.

The subject of the debate is that how come a secular state would interfere with religious teachings when no harm done to others? there seem to be a misleading understanding of the whole issue of the Hijab. To our information the headmaster of the Wexford school has accepted Hijab with no further problem. Trying to talk to both Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn to ask them not to back the idea of banning Hijab from school.

1. Introduction to Hijab
What we would love to see in this life is harmony respect decency tolerance discipline understanding and caring. these attributes have to be enforced in our society, for the well being of our children.
The symbol of Islam is the Crescent and Star which you would find on top of the Mosque. Hijab is not a symbol of Islam, but it is a must and a task has to be observed by women. Hijab is not a matter of choice, it is an order from Allah, as the Quran prescribes. It was explained to Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn that and shown the verse in Quran.
Sisters of Jewish and Christian faith observe the Hijab. Islam, Christianity and Jewdism are all heaven religions which unite in wearing Hijab, and they are similar in many decent values
, for instance, be good to your neighbour, don’t thieve, don’t hurt others, be nice to your parents, and so on. Still some christian sisters wear Hijab up to now in Ireland. In fact holy Mary always pictured with Hijab, in schools and we saw Mother Teresa in Hijab and today still we see most religious women of different faiths wear the Hijab. Only recently Hijab was popular in catholic Ireland. In fact many still remember those days in Ireland where their own mothers wear hijab to meet an outsider man. I myself heard on the radio a woman from rural Ireland disgusted with the way that young girls walking naked in O'Cornell street because the woman think their wear is not decent. As politicians you suppose to be grown up in a decent religious and conservative society in Ireland.

2 Secularism is today’s government slogan they claim that government officials don’t interfere with religions, and pay every respect to them. Yet we find religion interfered with!

3 Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of security to everyone (man and women). Headscarf is what women will wear because of her belief. If secular regimes will take away such a freedom, then secular is tilting towards dictatorship.

4 We as Muslims living in Ireland don’t feel that the Irish have any problem with the hijab, the Irish people are used to have nuns and religious people.

5 Hijab in school does not interfere with the pupil’s work and does not interfere with the teacher giving the lessen and it blends very well with the uniform. There is no problem with Hijab in schools.

6 Politicians should never interfere with a religious act that does not harm anyone. Specially when it is a way of life like Hijab.

7 You will alienate Muslim parents and they will pull their daughters from the government schools. This has a very negative effect on integration and pushing them into the other side. You defeat the object of being a secular regime which it should encamps all faiths and let them live in perfect harmony.
Being target it, is always make you vulnerable, and vulnerable people can't feel safe. you as a politician have taken it to look like “if you don’t like it get out of the country” what about the Irish and the British Muslims who originally are white and adopted the faith.They have the right to the country like anyone else.

8 School uniform is adhered to by the young Muslim girls, and kept the way it should be rightly. There is no problem in wearing it and the headscarf blends with it.
Why should politicians interfere with Hijab:
Headmasters and headmistresses always commented good on girls with headscarf never there is any problem. So why you need to interfere with it as a politician. If any school wishes to stop Hijab then let that school take the parents to the court to stop their child wearing Hijab or find an alternative school.

Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn Hijab Debate with Bashir at the Dial 1

Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn Hijab Debate with Bashir at the Dial 2

Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn Hijab Debate with Bashir at the Dial 3

Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn Hijab Debate with Bashir at the Dial 4

Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn Hijab Debate with Bashir at the Dial 5

Brian Hayes and Ruiari Quinn Hijab Debate with Bashir at the Dial 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Ruairi Quinn and Brian Hayes against Hijab..Why?

Patricia McDonagh
Monday June 02 2008
MUSLIM girls should not be allowed to wear a headscarf in public schools, the two main opposition parties said last night.
Labour's Ruairi Quinn said immigrants who come to Ireland need to conform to the culture of this country.
"If people want to come into a western society that is Christian and secular, they need to conform to the rules and regulations of that country," the Labour spokesman on education and science told the Irish Independent.
His comments come amid mounting controversy over guidelines on the wearing of the hijab, commonly worn by Muslim girl in state schools.
His stance on the issue was backed by his Fine Gael counterpart Brian Hayes, who says it makes "absolute sense" that there is one uniform for everyone.
The Fine Gael education spokesman said the wearing of the hijab was not a fundamental requirement to be a Muslim, but more an example of modesty and cultural mores.
Recently, Nicholas Sweetman, principal of Gorey Community School, Co Wexford, called for official direction to bring an end to the practice of schools imposing divergent policies.
The Wexford controversy followed the Department of Education's refusal to offer advice to the school when a Muslim couple asked last September that their daughter be allowed to wear the headscarf in class.
Mr Quinn said immigrants should live by Irish laws and conform to Irish norms.
"Nobody is formally asking them to come here. In the interests of integration and assimilation, they should embrace our culture," he said.
He added: "Irish girls don't wear headscarves. A manifestation of religious beliefs in such a way is unacceptable and draws attention to those involved. I believe in a public school situation they should not wear a headscarf."
Mr Hayes said Ireland should not be going down the route of multiculturalism.
"It makes absolute sense that there would be one uniform for everyone. The wearing of the hijab is not about religiosity, it is more an example of modesty. It is not a fundamental requirement to be a Muslim," he said.
But Fine Gael and Labour's position on the controversy sparked an angry reaction.
Islamic Society of Ireland spokesperson Summayah Kenna branded the comments by Mr Hayes and Mr Quinn as "baffling", adding the hijab was a religious obligation.
She said she was "shocked" by Mr Hayes' assertion that it was otherwise, and urged him to check up on his information.
And director of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism Philip Watt said the "ill-thought" comments from both political figures were "disappointing".
Last night, a spokesperson for Integration Minister Conor Lenihan said he had no problem with students wearing the hijab.
"For those that wear the hijab, it's an issue of modesty. It's not so long since Irish women wore headscarves to church, so we have to respect that," the spokesperson said.
At present, individual school authorities are responsible for the drawing up of school rules, including school-uniform requirements.
But the Education Act requires school boards to have respect for the diversity of values, beliefs and traditions.
The Department of Education said last night it had asked Mr Lenihan to consider the matter in the context of the development of an Intercultural Education Strategy.
It said nothing would be ruled in or out until after talks take place.
- Patricia McDonagh