English schools allowed to ban full-face veils

[sonz]

Schools in England will be able to ban female Muslim students from wearing full-face veil, or Niqab, under new uniform guidelines to be published on Tuesday, officials said.

The guidance paper from the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) allows school head teachers to determine what pupils should and shouldn’t wear in class, a DEFS spokesman said.

Although the guidance paper states that efforts must be made to accommodate religious clothing, it stresses the importance of teachers and students being able to make eye contact.

"They should have regard to a range of religions and try to accommodate them where possible," the spokesman said. "But what we are saying in the guidance is that safety, security and the ability to learn is paramount."

The uniform guidelines come after a British Muslim girl, aged 12, lost a legal battle to be allowed to wear the full-face veil in school.

Correspondents say Shabina Begum's case has prompted the updated guidance.

Begum’s lawyers had argued that the veil ban violated her right to freedom of “thought, conscience and religion” under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. But her school said the veil made communication between teachers and pupils difficult and thus hampered learning.

This position was upheld by the High Court, which refused to grant a judicial review, and is expected to form a key part of the new uniform guidance, which states that schools need to be able to identify individual pupils in order to maintain good order and spot intruders.

"If a pupil's face is obscured for any reason the teacher may not be able to judge their engagement with learning or secure their participation in discussions and practical activities," it adds.

The DEFS says it isn’t ordering head teachers to ban the Niqab, but confirming that they have the authority to do so if the wish. It also says schools should consult with parents, governors and the local community on uniform policy before making any decisions.

The guidance also reiterates the right of schools to discipline pupils for not wearing the proper uniform.

“Shocking”

The Islamic Human Rights Commission described the new guidance as "shocking".

"Successive ministers dealing with education issues have failed to give proper guidance when requested by human rights campaigners about schools' obligations regarding religious dress, including the head scarf,” said chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission Massoud Shadjareh.

“To now proceed to issue guidance against Muslim communities is simply shocking," he added.

The Muslim Council of Britain has already urged schools to take into account Muslim pupils' needs to dress modestly and avoid tight-fitting or transparent garments.

Ayshah Ishmael, a teacher at a Muslim girls' school in Preston who wears the Niqab away from the classroom, told the BBC that wearing the veil promoted equality.

"You're judged for who you are and not what you are, so I think there are two arguments to the whole equality issue,” she said.

The Niqab has been a hot political debate in the UK since senior minister Jack Straw said last October that the veil makes community relations "more difficult."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair joined the debate by describing the Niqab as a “mark of separation”, and saying that veiled women make others feel “uncomfortable”.

The remarks prompted some Muslim groups to accuse the government of creating an atmosphere of Islamophobia.

Trevor Phillips, the head of Britain's race relations watchdog, the Commission for Racial Equality, warned at the time that the debate was growing ugly and could trigger riots.

He said Britons were becoming increasingly polarized along racial and religious lines, and risk fueling unrest if they don't discuss their differences respectfully.

-- AJP and Agencies

[Umar001]

I think they should just have Muslim schools, of course non Muslims wouldnt want a face veil. I mean, surely Muslims can understand that.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

^ yea cause their perverted.


But i agree, we should just have lots of islamic schools. Non-Muslim schools teach too many anti islamic thoughts anyway!

[siFilam]

British Prime Minister Tony Blair joined the debate by describing the Niqab as a “mark of separation”, and saying that veiled women make others feel “uncomfortable”.

Maybe they feel insecure about themselves thats why they feel uncomfortable.

Alhamdullilah, in the US they haven't tried anything against Niqab yet. But I'm sure in their heart they despise it and if they could do something about it they would. But I've been wearing the Niqab to my university for years now and I haven't received any negative reactions. Alhamdulilah.
-SI-

[strider]

Sheesh, this isn't an attack on Islam rather a review of practical considerations within schools. I can't see many schools actually wanting to pay out a £££ lawsuit because a niqab caught fire during a chemistry experiment.

[aLiTTLeTiMe]

Maybe they feel insecure about themselves thats why they feel uncomfortable.

Alhamdullilah, in the US they haven't tried anything against Niqab yet. But I'm sure in their heart they despise it and if they could do something about it they would. But I've been wearing the Niqab to my university for years now and I haven't received any negative reactions. Alhamdulilah.
-SI-

Masallah it is so nice..but turkey is muslim country,but nobady is wearing th hijab.so bad

[vpb]

don't worry, the time will come when the people who support anti-niqab rule , will cry on the ground so they can send their kids to madrasa, even their kids are not muslims

[NoName55]

how much you all know on fiqh of hijaab?Any difference in hijaab and niqaab?

[vpb]

i know for sure that hijab is compulsory

[MTAFFI]

^ yea cause their perverted.


But i agree, we should just have lots of islamic schools. Non-Muslim schools teach too many anti islamic thoughts anyway!

We are perverted because we are trying to ensure our security?

Yes you should have more islamic schools, then you wouldnt have this issue

[DAWUD_adnan]

i heard they did it for security reasons, could perhaps be reasonable....

[siFilam]

how much you all know on fiqh of hijaab?Any difference in hijaab and niqaab?

Hijab is Fard and Niqab is wajib.

"Imam Abu-Hanifa (Rahmatullah alaih)- the face and palms is excluded from hijaab but the condition is there should be no fear of fitna. The Hanafi Jurists have said due to the immorality of times and weakness of resistance, it is compulsory for a female to cover her face which is the

focus of her beauty.

Imam Shaf’ie, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmed (Rahmatullah alaih) –It is not permissible for a lady to expose her face and palms whether there is danger of fitna or not. "
Askimam.com Fatwa # 13998

anyways, face is the focus of beauty so its necessary to wear niqab. I know I started wearing Niqab because I always receive compliments, especially about my simile. so i thought it would be appropriate to wear Niqab since I went to university.
-SI-

[MTAFFI]

don't worry, the time will come when the people who support anti-niqab rule , will cry on the ground so they can send their kids to madrasa, even their kids are not muslims

i seriously doubt that, although if this keeps up Muslims may see a day when they cry and wish their children could attend public schools

[NoName55]

^^^did not know there were squads of primary school niqaabis on osama payroll threatening your security

[MTAFFI]

^^^did not know there were squads of primary school niqaabis on osama payroll threatening your security

are you saying that terrorist wouldnt attack a school, or cant disguise themselves in a niqab?

[siFilam]

i seriously doubt that, although if this keeps up Muslims may see a day when they cry and wish their children could attend public schools

I highly doubt this. even many Americans in the US keep their kids away from public school. tell you the truth if I had to do everything over again, I would convince my dad not to send my brother and I to public school. Kids in the American public schools are behind, even compared to many third world countries. for example Bangladesh. My cousins in Bangladesh are learning things I've only came across in college. Public school students are concerned with the opposite gender, popularity and sports.
-SI-

[strider]

are you saying that terrorist wouldnt attack a school, or cant disguise themselves in a niqab?

This is a very real risk of allowing Niqabs to be worn in certain places as it masks ones identity. I think schools should reserve the right to ban the Niqab if they feel there is a risk to their security.

[Muezzin]

I expected these knee-jerk reactions...

It's not a wholesale ban, it's allowing headteachers a discretion to ban it if they so wish, which will differ from case to case. If it was a law saying 'veils may not be worn in any school in the UK', then I'd be getting ticked off. I'm sure headteachers can and will be pressured by certain parent groups not to ban the veil in certain schools anyhow.

Also, I fail to see any relevance whatsoever the American school system has to this news.

[wilberhum]

This is a very real risk of allowing Niqabs to be worn in certain places as it masks ones identity. I think schools should reserve the right to ban the Niqab if they feel there is a risk to their security.

There are lots of reasons for the ban other than security.

You can go down to the simplest points.

Who is attending class? Who is taking the test?

[Sami Zaatari]

typo say=see*

anyway if banning the niqab is for security then we should start banning the crosses in every single muslim country, why? well it poses a threat to, if we wanna be desperate like some others are then we can say crosses can be used to stab someone with and can be used as a weapon, hence it should be banned as it can be used as a weapon, fair is fair, security comes first right?