NEW YORK, Sept 1 (AFP) - The New York Times on Wednesday praised France's Muslim groups and opposition leaders for rallying behind the government's decision not to give in to the demands of kidnappers who are holding two French journalists in Iraq to pressure Paris to repeal its new headscarf ban in schools.
Some 12 million pupils attending 60,000 primary and 11,000 secondary schools are obliged to heed a "secularity law" passed by President Jacques Chirac's government in March, which prohibits the wearing of clothing or symbols which "conspicuously" display religious identity.
Though the law is framed so that no religion is singled out -- Jewish stars of David, large Christian crosses and Sikh turbans are also banned -- the main target appears to be the headscarf worn by increasing numbers of teenage Muslim girls.
"The display of unity was encouraging. The headscarf ban may be ill conceived and discriminatory, but French education policy should not be set by terrorists. Islamic leaders in France are forcefully making that point, too," the daily's editorial board wrote.
The daily felt that the response by Fouad Alami, the secretary general of the Union of French Islamic Organizations, encouraging Muslim students to respect the headscarf ban, which he opposed, "undercuts the Iraqi militants' attempt to divide French society and the continent's reactionary fears about its immigrant populations.
"We hope it awakens French society to just how baseless the widespread anti-Muslim prejudices really are," the daily said.
French journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot went missing in Iraq on August 20.