London mayor “Red Ken” Livingstone has called the French ban on hijab in schools the most reactionary proposal since World War II.

Criticising the “demonisation” of Islam in some British newspapers, he warned that in his second term he would examine whether media organisations’ recruitment policies reflected the diversity of the community.

He was addressing the Assembly for the Protection of Hijab (known as Pro-Hijab), which holds that the right to wear the headscarf is a fundamental aspect of religious freedom.

It was formed after the French government banned pupils at state schools from wearing obviously religious symbols, including the headscarf, the Jewish skullcap, the Sikh turban and prominent Christian crucifixes. Apart from France, several German states are reportedly soon to ban teachers from wearing headscarves. …

“The French ban is the most reactionary proposal to be considered by any parliament in Europe since the Second World War,” Livingstone told a packed City Hall Monday.

“I am determined London’s Muslims should never face similar restrictions. It marks a move towards religious intolerance that we in Europe swore never to repeat, having witnessed the devastating effects of the Holocaust.”