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Religious reforms imposed in Iraqi schools, universities

Protests erupted in Iraq following a decision to impose gender segregation in schools and universities.
Students attend a class on the first day of the new school term in Kerbala, 110 km (68 miles) south of Baghdad, September 24, 2013. REUTERS/Mushtaq Muhammed (IRAQ - Tags: EDUCATION SOCIETY) - RTX13Y2I
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BAGHDAD — Dozens of students from Baghdad University took to the streets Oct. 16 to protest the establishment of an all-girls university and to demand that separation of the sexes be forbidden in Iraqi universities.

As religion seeps into every aspect of education in Iraq, art and sports classes are on the verge of disappearing, while religious education classes prevail. An escalating wave of religious extremism has been taking over Iraqi cities, especially the southern ones, where women ubiquitously wear the veil while civil freedoms are absent.

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