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A Muslim girl who was banned from wearing a head scarf by a Czech nursing school is seeking an apology and compensation, her lawyer has told Czech Television. The girl, originally from Somalia, and other students from Afghanistan have reported ended their studies at the school. The broadcaster reported Thursday that the girl’s lawyer has taken the first steps towards starting legal proceedings against the school. The school’s ban divided opinion in the Czech Republic. The girl’s rights were defended by the Ombudsman but attacked by many politicians including head of state, president Miloš Zeman. He said that Czech cultural traditions should be respected.

In this week’s Czech Life we speak to Šádí Shanaah, who is one of the founders of Muslims through the Eyes of Czech Students, a concise handbook and course for secondary school students aimed at providing information about the country’s Muslim community and the history of Islam. Initially, the project - which also touches upon contemporary problems and developments - was backed by the Education Ministry. It, however, later withdrew support. Why others did not, as well as the role played by vocal anti-Islam activists, are topics discussed.

Hassan Mezian is the only Muslim legislator in the Czech Parliament. The Social Democrat senator moved to Prague from Damascus to study medicine in 1967, and, apart from spells in his native Syria and elsewhere, has spent most of his life practicing in the central Bohemian town of Litoměřice. When we met at the Senate, our conversation took in Syria, Czech Muslim life, and growing anti-Muslim populism in politics. But first I was curious to hear about Dr. Mezian’s period treating Bedouins during his military service.

Some 600 demonstrators took part in an event in Brno on Saturday protesting against Islam, while not far away around 200 people demonstrated in favour of religious freedom and tolerance. Neither event saw any incidents requiring the police to step in. Organisers of the larger protest said they wanted to stop the spread of Islam in the Czech Republic; protestors carried placards featuring a mosque and minarets inside a ban circle. Populist politicians such as the Dawn movement's Tomio Okamura in recent weeks have stoked anti-Muslim sentiments, suggesting Czechs, for example, should boycott kebab stands.

Chez Amis is an Arab-Oriental grocery store that also doubles as a fast food establishment selling kebabs, falafel, hummus, couscous and other such delicacies. Situated on Spálená street in the centre of Prague, it is owned and operated by Algerian-born Amis Boussad. He agreed to talk with me in his store, among other things, about life for Muslims in the Czech Republic.

Some 400 people are attending a protest against Islam at Prague's Old Town Square on Saturday, organized by the group We Do Not Want Islam in the Czech Republic. After the gathering, the protesters are set to march to the seat of the Interior Ministry at Prague's Letná. Among those who attended the protest were a number of politicians, including Tomio Okamura, leader of the controversial Dawn Party, and Jana Volfová, head of the non-parliamentary Czech Suverenity movement. Around forty people have also attended the gathering in support of the minorities.

The terrorist attacks in Paris have put the spotlight on Europe’s Muslim minorities, triggering broad debate on Islamic radicalism, immigration policy and the concept of a multi-cultural Europe. In this special program we’ll take a closer look at the Czech Republic’s small Muslim community, how it is perceived by the majority population and how it has been impacted by the developments in Europe.

Some 300 people attended a protest against Islam on Prague’s Hradčany Square on Friday evening. The event was organized by the group We Do Not Want Islam in the Czech Republic who have been increasingly vocal in protesting the presence of Muslims in the country. Among those who attended the gathering were a number of politicians, including deputy chair of the Dawn party Marek Černoch, Civic Democrat MP Jana Černochova and Senator Jaroslav Doubrava. The protest passed without incident.

Following last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris, the Czech authorities are not ruling out the possibility of the radicalisation of individual Muslims in this country. However, says the minister of the interior, the Czech Muslim community as a whole is unusual in not having a radical component, having arisen in very different circumstances than the communities in bigger European states.

The leader of the populist Dawn Party Tomio Okamura has found himself at the centre of a scandal, endorsing a highly questionable text by his deputy on his Facebook page. In it, he suggested Czechs should shun Muslim-owned businesses or should provoke Muslims by walking pigs in the vicinity of mosques. At first, part of the community shrugged off the rhetoric; now though, representatives are considering filing charges for hate speech.