Veiled Student Faces Islamophobic Remarks During Exam at Paris University

The student, perfectly entitled to wear her veil in the university context, was attacked less than two minutes after the start of the defense. The examiner in question addressed her, saying: "Aren’t you ashamed to wear the veil at Dauphine? We are in France here!" before urging her to "go back to Afghanistan", report Le Parisien and RMC.

The incident caused strong emotion among the other students present, some of whom even started to cry. Shocked, the students refused to take their oral exam in front of the examiner, going to the university presidency to report the incident. Less than 24 hours later, the university reacted, removing the examiner from the jury. In a letter to the students, the university president indicated that the examiner’s remarks were "unacceptable and intolerable", in total contradiction with the university’s values.

According to some reports, it seems that this is not the first time that this examiner, who is not part of the teaching staff but has been collaborating with Dauphine for about five years, has made similar remarks. A complaint would have been filed by the targeted student.

Despite the incident, the students involved wish that the event not be politicized and remain an isolated incident. The Association of Muslim Students of Dauphine (Adem) also regretted the hateful messages the student has been receiving since the affair was made public. For its part, the university management affirms its mission to train "open and responsible professionals and citizens, attentive to the social, ethical and environmental consequences of their actions and decisions".