Dubai: An African toddler was refused enrolment into a nursery in Kesrwan, Lebanon, because of his dark skin tone.
The nursery head defended its actions by claiming that other parents had threatened to take their children out of the nursery if the Sudanese boy was enrolled.
On Twitter, users criticised the nursery.
“This child’s skin tone is lighter than your dark hearts.” one user posted.
Another user, Rafaa Al Quhtani, tweeted: “Waiting on the day where racism towards Africans finally become[s] prohibited.”
Waiting on the day where racism towards africans finally become prohibited#طفل_سوداني_يتعرض_للعنصريه
— رفعه القحطاني (@ItsRory__) June 19, 2018
A Sudanese user tweeted: “Ignorance cultivates racism. Those with inferiority complexes think they are superior because they are white.”
No one was born that way, but the ignorants cultivate racism by their ignorance and inferiority complex,classifying themselves superiors just because they are white/educated/richest or or #طفل_سوداني_يتعرض_للعنصرية
— Mohamed B. Mahgoub 🇸🇩 (@mohdbackri) June 19, 2018
The Ministry of Health immediately issued a warning letter to the nursery saying it violated basic rules of Human Rights including Law 422/200 on child protection.
The ministry contacted the toddler’s father saying the nursery would now admit his child, but the man declined the offer saying that he put his child in a different nursery.
The ministry also plans to carry out an awareness campaign at the nursery to educate the parents who protested against the toddler’s enrolment.
Hams Saleh is an interns at Gulf News
