# Canadian Political Leader Urges French to Allow Turbans in Schools September 03, 2004 Source: INDOlink/NNN On September 3, 2004 *INDOlink/NNN* reported, "The French government’s controversial ban on symbolic religious headscarfs in schools that came into force a couple of days ago, has come into sharp attack from several quarters, including Sikhs and Islamic leaders. One of them is Gurbax Singh Malhi, parliamentary secretary to the Canadian labour minister, who believes the French government must withdraw the bill and allow Sikhs from wearing turbans, which is the community’s identity. This is the same Malhi who had in the 1990s fought his own battle in the Canadian parliament to protect his right to wear a turban... In Amritsar at the invitation of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to participate in the 400th year celebrations of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib's Prakash Utsav, Malhi, hopes the Sikhs in France too would be allowed to wear turbans. 'I had a chat with the French ambassador in Canada a week before the controversial Bill was passed and told him that turban was part of the Sikh religious code,' \[he said\]." See also:- [ Advocacy/Government ](/news-stories/advocacygovernment) - [ French Ban on Religious Symbols in Schools ](/news-stories/french-ban-religious-symbols-schools) - [ Middle East Conflict ](/news-stories/middle-east-conflict) - [ Schools ](/news-stories/schools) - [ Religious Freedom ](/news-stories/religious-freedom) - [ Sikhism ](/religions/sikhism) - [ Civic ](/tags/civic) - [ International ](/tags/international) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)