Campus Visit Sparks Debate: World Hijab Day Event Ignites Controversy at Wylie School
"In the climate, people think that the Muslims are trying to take over and that they’re going to bring Sharia law," says the interim executive director of CAIR
Tempers flared at a Wylie ISD school board meeting after a Muslim outreach group set up a lunchtime booth at Wylie East High School for World Hijab Day.
The group, called Why Islam, visited the campus two weeks ago.
World Hijab Day is an annual event that takes place on February 1st to raise awareness about the hijab and dismantle stereotypes associated with Muslim women who choose to wear it. The event aims to foster personal freedom of religious expression and understanding, promote diversity, and encourage dialogue among people of all faiths and backgrounds.
The controversy intensified after a video of a 15-year-old student describing the event went viral, according to WFAA. The video was shared by Denton County Republican Party Chair Melinda Preston.
“It wasn’t expected, but I’m glad that people saw. They got to see what is happening,” Preston said.
The district says the visitors checked in through the front office, but a staff member did not verify the required guest approval. Religious materials were made available to students, despite the district policy prohibiting that.
“So when the student came to me about what happened, he is a part of a Christian organization, and he knows that they’re not allowed to do that,” Preston said.
The staff member involved has been placed on leave, and the superintendent says the district is reviewing its procedures.
Mustafaa Carroll, interim executive director of the Texas Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the event was intended to be educational but acknowledged organizers did not follow the rules.
“I think that it’s easy to be misinterpreted as something else, especially in the climate that we’re in, people think that the Muslims are trying to take over and they’re going to bring Sharia law,” Carroll said.
A parent attending the meeting said there was nothing wrong with the event and that the overreaction was linked to the current climate of intolerance against Muslims.