She now sat listening to the Norwegian teacher.
“She wore a niqab in class today,” the teacher informed her. “Personally, I don’t think we should allow that. We need to be able to see our pupils.”
“You have my support on that,” Hanne replied.
Sunlight was flooding in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. From where they sat, there was a view over the entrance to the school and the parking lot.
Earlier that school year, Ayan had lodged a written request asking to be excused from taking PE with the rest of the class. She had gotten a form from Hanne and filled it out. The teenage girl had familiarized herself with the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training’s circular. According to paragraph 3.3 §1–12: “The principal may upon request grant students in secondary education exemption from classes in physical exercise. The student must provide testimony from a doctor documenting that the class is injurious to the student and that adapted instruction is not possible.”
Her request was sent on to lawyers in the county administration. It could take some time, as there were many fundamental questions to clarify. Hanne had informed her of the consequences of high absenteeism. If Ayan did not turn up for gym class, she was risking not receiving a grade in that subject and thereby failing to get a diploma.
Ayan had previously been very active. She used to go jogging in the local park with Ela and Ivana, and she had worked out for free at the Friskis&Svettis fitness center in return for working at the reception desk with Dilal. After numerous complaints were made about her disappearing to pray, her employers warned her she would be let go if it continued. She chose to quit instead.
The problems around physical exercise had begun that same autumn.
Ayan had complained to the PE teacher about not feeling comfortable showering with the other girls. The teacher, a young woman only slightly older than her pupils, offered her the use of her own changing room. She did not mind showering later, she told Ayan. After using the teacher’s facilities once, Ayan said there was another issue: She could not take part in a gym class with boys. When the teacher asked why, she said her religion did not permit it. The teacher suggested this might be something Ayan could control herself—perhaps she could avoid tackling and close contact?
The following week Ayan said that she could not take part if music was played. Then there was the issue of her clothes—she found it strenuous to train in the tunics her religion obliged her to wear.
There were many Muslims in the class, and the young teacher always took this into consideration, checking, for example, which month Ramadan fell on when she set up the annual plan. During that period she saw to it the sessions were at low intensity. The teacher believed that one of the most important goals of the class was to bolster the desire to be active. She certainly did not want Ayan to have cause to abstain from physical activity, so she allowed her to cycle on an exercise bike in long skirts and putter around as she wanted.
Eventually she suggested that Ayan train on her own. Dønski ran a top sports studies program, including cross-country and downhill skiing, hockey, and football, and it housed an up-to-date gym with treadmills, bicycles, exercise machines, and free weights. These facilities were reserved for sports studies pupils, but the school made an exception for Ayan. She was allowed to put together her own training program. It was to focus on strength and endurance, and she was to follow it and record the results.
Ayan drew up a program, but after a few weeks she announced she could not use the gym room after all. Someone might see her while she was there! She could agree to work out there only if she was given a guarantee that nobody would come in while she was training.
“There are three doors into the room,” Ayan complained. “Someone could walk in at any time!”
This was not a simple opposition to physical activity but something deeper, the PE teacher thought. It was obviously new, since Ayan, as opposed to many other Muslim girls she had seen, had excellent motor skills. She must have been very active as a child, the teacher thought.
Ayan then made a suggestion. She said she had some contacts at Friskis&Svettis, having previously worked as a receptionist there. She could ask them to open the gym to her after closing time and the teacher could come and observe her.
Now the teacher was wondering: Was something not quite right with Ayan?
* * *
The day after Ayan’s niqab debut in the classroom, she came to school wearing it and refused to take it off.
Again the Norwegian teacher complained to the principal.
A few days passed. Was it to be on or off?
On February 25, 2013, Hanne Rud received an e-mail.
“Hi, I have begun wearing a niqab, clothing that covers my face apart from my eyes, and I was wondering what the rules were for this in the county. I have searched a little online but have not found anything saying it is not allowed and I wondered if maybe you knew something more about it. Yours sincerely, Ayan, Islam Net.”
Hanne was quick to respond. “In my view it is important we are able to identify our pupils at all times. Therefore I do not want to encourage any form of clothing that makes this difficult.”
Ayan’s reply came in a matter of minutes. “I understand that it
