The French Mosque Union (UMF) expressed its concern and dismay, in a statement issued on Saturday, at the Toulouse police requesting school principals to provide information about Muslim students who were absent on Eid al-Fitr (Muslim celebration marking the end of Ramadan).
Toulouse police services requested school directors and heads of similar institutions to provide data on absenteeism on the day of Eid al-Fitr, reported French news agency “AFP”.
This year’s Eid al-Fitr took place on April 21, a day before the end of the schooling year in Toulouse.
Rector of Toulouse Academy Mostafa Fourar said that once the headmasters and school staff were informed about the request, all agreed on not responding.
Toulouse authorities said that their message was poorly phrased and misunderstood as it was meant solely to enquire about the rate of absenteeism.
The UMF recalled that the school administration has the right to ask parents to justify their children’s absence, but in no case it is allowed to send such data to a third party.