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December 17, 2015

Wheaton College Suspends Professor Wearing Hijab in Solidarity 
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In Illinois, the private Christian school Wheaton College has suspended
a tenured professor who has begun wearing a headscarf in solidarity with
her Muslim neighbors. Political science professor Larycia Hawkins posted
on Facebook: "I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they,
like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated
last week, we worship the same God." In response, Wheaton College
suspended Hawkins, saying that her words violated an oath required by
the school. Speaking at a news conference at a Chicago church Wednesday,
Hawkins said that wearing the headscarf is "embodied solidarity."

Larycia Hawkins: "The point of this is being in embodied solidarity.
Theoretical solidarity is not solidarity. So, being with people requires
sacrificing our bodies, and that's what I'm doing. And I won't—I won't
turn back on that. I won't look back, and I'll continue to do this until
Christmas."

 

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