Islamic organisations go to Constitutional Court against sex education in Wallonia
Several Islamic organisations and the Coordination Council of the Islamic Institutions of Belgium (CIB) will file appeals with the Constitutional Court against the Evras sex education package. This was announced in a press release on Monday. They believe several provisions that led to adopting the Evras Guide in French-speaking schools are unconstitutional.
There have been several incidences of protests and school arson in recent weeks after Evras - education à la vie relationnelle, affective et sexuelle - was added to the fourth and sixth-year curriculum. The decree of the French Community government, which requires French-speaking schools to provide a total of four hours of sex education, has been met with violence and disdain from certain communities.
Seven associations, including Diyanet and the Fédération Islamique de Belgique, have now appealed against implementing this education package. They had also previously stated that they opposed the decree's approval.
“Several decree provisions are highly questionable,” said Kürşat Bilge, a lawyer for the CIB member institutions. He declined to provide details on the grounds and arguments of the appeal before it is filed "in October".
In its press release, the CIB said it "condemns the acts of violence and vandalism against schools that followed the adoption of the decree". Several schools in the Charleroi region were attacked in September.
The CIB also "strongly reaffirms its commitment to a democratic society that respects the rule of law" and reiterates its "attachment to the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution".
According to the mission statement of Evras, the organisation aims to support children and adolescents in developing their relational, emotional and sexual lives and becoming fulfilled adults. It provides children with access to reliable, complete and age-appropriate information.
©BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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