Minister gives schools right to ban Muslim veil

[N.O.R.F]

Dont we just love this topic by now

 

Minister gives schools right to ban Muslim veil

 

 

· Johnson cites safety and security reasons

· Headteachers are asked to consult on new policy

 

Patrick Wintour, political editor

Tuesday March 20, 2007

The Guardian

 

 

The education secretary Alan Johnson will court controversy today by announcing that he expects head teachers to ban schoolchildren from wearing the full Muslim veil on "safety, security and teaching" grounds.

He will tell headteachers that they will have the right to stop pupils covering their faces under a new uniform policy to be distributed to schools.

 

The policy will be put out to consultation. In practice, few children wear the full veil and the guidance does not appear to stop girls wearing a head scarf.

 

Mr Johnson, one of the many candidates for the Labour deputy leadership, will defend the new policy guidance to schools on the grounds that safety security and effective teaching must be paramount, coming ahead of the tolerance of religious and cultural beliefs of children.

 

The consultation, leaked in advance to the Sun by Mr Johnson, states it will be for headteachers to consult widely among parents before introducing the policy. It will suggest it is for teachers to judge whether the ability to see a child's face is necessary for them to teach effectively and safely.

 

Controversy arose last March when the House of Lords overturned an appeal court ruling that a Muslim teenager's human rights were violated when she was banned from wearing a head-to-toe Islamic dress to school. Shabina Begum, 17, argued that banning her from wearing the jilbab at Denbigh high school in Luton, Bedfordshire, breached her rights to education and to manifest her religion.

 

In November 2006, Aishah Azmi, 24, a Muslim teaching assistant who refused to remove her veil in school if a man was present, was sacked. Mrs Azmi lost an employment tribunal case after refusing a male teacher's request that she remove the veil when helping children in her role as a bilingual support assistant at Headfield Church of England junior school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

 

Earlier the leader of the Commons, Jack Straw, caused anger by writing an article in his local paper in his constituency in Blackburn, Lancashire, revealing he had been asking Muslim women not to cover their faces when they came to see him for constituency surgeries.

 

He wrote in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph that he feared "wearing the full veil was bound to make better, positive relations between the two communities more difficult". Asking women to consider showing the mouths and noses could lead to true "face-to-face" conversations with constituents, enabling him to "see what the other person means, and not just hear what they say".

 

He said the full veil had become a statement of difference and separateness,

 

Mr Straw was defended by cabinet colleagues but attacked by some Muslims for undermining the religious integrity of Muslim women and imposing his cultural values upon them. The Protect-Hijab campaign condemned Mr Straw and the subsequent cases, saying they showed "a deep misunderstanding of the significance of the face veil".

 

Backstory

In Britain the controversy has focused on the niqab or face veil. Teaching assistant Aishah Azmi was fired for refusing to remove it in November, while earlier Shabina Begum, 17, lost a legal battle to wear the jilbab, a full-length garment including headscarf, to school. In the Netherlands, full-length burkas are banned in some schools and headscarves can be banned under certain circumstances. In France, "conspicuous" religious symbols are banned in schools. Several German states have banned hijabs among pupils.

 

educationguardian

[Taliban]

For those Muslims who have made life in the West a permanency without plan B, here is my question; what would you choose if the choice becomes leaving the West or leaving your faith?

[N.O.R.F]

Does one leave his/her faith if they permenantly reside in the west? What are you on about?

[JUSTICE]

You don't have to leave your religion to be like others and join the crowd. You could be the muslim, the hardworker, the believer, the friend, the classmate. You could only make it hard for yourself by choosing to be different in an odd way.

wearing the face veil is one of these odd acts.

[Peacenow]

Good move by the minister. No group should claim exclusive rights.People who wear the hijab, wear it so they can make a political statement. Therte is no space for this in schools. You want to be treated equally, then claim special rights, does not work.

[Nehanda]

I found this new stance from the government harsh and abhorrent! Banning the veil is in fact more so a violation of individuals’ religious rights rather than a threat to community cohesion.

 

A teacher should be assessed on her ability to educate her students rather than her dress code. The government ramble about the communication barrier and threat to security associated with wearing a full veil however statistically none of the 7/7 or 9/11 terrorists wore a full veil to execute their mission.

 

If we are able to communicate electronically or over the phone then what’s the fuss with communicating with someone wearing a veil.

[Ms DD]

Exactly how many girls wish to wear the veil and does this really affect the school in an adverse way?

 

We are a long way away from the traditional British adage 'I disagree strongly in what you believe but will defend to the death your right to believe it'

Of course it is another step away from the so-called core British values to stop people wearing clothes that conform to their beliefs.

[Ameen]

Subhan'Allah it seems that everyday when I awake, they seem to find another way to attack Islam. Now we got to the stage where they are passing laws and standing strong when its a matter of dress code. Who has the right to tell me (actually forget me but) who has the right to tell my sister (in Islam) how to dress? None

 

Justice, covering yourself completely may seem odd to you and different but go study the Seerah of the Prophet (saw) and focus on the women of that time (who were stronger in faith than any of you) and you will notice that Aisha (ra) covered herself completely, so in reality wearing a face veil in NOT an odd act though it may seem to you.

 

Peacenow, how could you say... “good move for the ministers” when it is clear they are fighting against the commandments of Allah. Like one man said, "trails will come one after the other and as more of them reach you, tell the people, its either you are on the side of the line or you are with us", which will it be?

 

and Allah knows best

[JUSTICE]

^^ You making it sound as if muslims can do anything about it. If muslims were stronger, no one would have tried to do anything against us.

 

Back to the face veil, Ameen, Aisha (aliha salam) wore the viel cause she already lived in a reigion were women were permitted to wear the face veil until this day. They wore it before Islam, which we could say is part of the culture. Cause if it was part of the deen, we would have seen all muslim women wearing it. Alhamdullah we don't have to, but for the sisters who do, well I think that they are brave to do so.

wearing the veil wont prove that you are more religious, its your actions more than your dress code that says more about you.

 

Why are we trying to live the saudi way?? its one of the most absured, rediculous way of living, where women have no respect and treated as second class citizens.

If you wana wear veil or wahtever then go to saudia arabia and try their way of living, leave the west for the people who want to indulge in the land of democracy.

[Ameen]

Originally posted by JUSTICE:

^^ You making it sound as if muslims can do anything about it. If muslims were stronger, no one would have tried to do anything against us.

Your right. If we united and stood as one strong structure, than we would be able to earn the respect that we deserve.

 

Back to the face veil, Ameen, Aisha (aliha salam) wore the viel cause she already lived in a reigion were women were permitted to wear the face veil until this day. They wore it before Islam, which we could say is part of the culture.

Actually, they the women of Arabia did not wear the veil that would cover their entire face before Islam (where did you get that from, I don’t know) and the proof for this is the incident regarding the scandal of Aisha and when the Muslim army accidentally left her in the behind and the Sahaaba who was trailing the army found her sitting alone in the desert. He recognized her due to the fact that he had seen her before the verse regarding hijab was revealed (as she stated when she narrated the story) which proves that women before Islam did not cover their entire face (and Allah knows best)

 

Cause if it was part of the deen, we would have seen all Muslim women wearing it.

There are different schools of thought regarding this and different scholars have different opinions but we know Islam doesn’t burden a person beyond their scope and Allah knows best regarding the correct opinion.

 

 

Why are we trying to live the Saudi way?? its one of the most absured, rediculous way of living, where women have no respect and treated as second class citizens.

If you wana wear veil or wahtever then go to saudia arabia and try their way of living, leave the west for the people who want to indulge in the land of democracy.

:confused: , no comment and Allah knows best