« Israel: As War Approaches, Russia's Footprints Can be Seen |
| UK: British Airways Allow Muslim Headscarf, But Not Crucifix »
October 14, 2006
UK: Non-Muslim Girls Must Wear Hijab At School
The hijab, or "Muslim headscarf" is an item of clothing which is regarded by some Muslims as "compulsory" for women to wear. But for the first time in Britain, a Muslim school has declared that ALL girl students will be forced to wear the hijab, including non-Muslim students.
10% of places at the new school will be allocated to students who are not of the Islamic faith, meaning that there will be 60 places for non-Muslim girls, who will all be expected to wear the headscarf.
The news is carried by The Sun and This is London. The news was announced yesterday by Madani High School in Leicester. Assistant principal Zainab Elgaziari said: "I can't see why if a student wears a head scarf it should be an issue. It's the same as a shirt or tie - it's just part of our uniform. We will welcome students of other faiths. Indeed, there will be a quota set down by the Government, and we will abide by these rules. When you go to any school you know what the uniform will be. Like any school, we will have one - and in our case it will include a head scarf."
The school is new, and will be commencing to take in students of both sexes next September. It will be replacing Leicester's existing Islamic Academy.
The city council has said it does not think that the school's policy of compulsory Muslim headscarves will deter non-Muslim parents from sending their children to the voluntary-aided state academy.
The city's education spokesman is Hussein Suleman, who is on the temporary governing body of the Madani High School. He said: "We have to find a balance. Governors have to take into account the fact that 10 per cent can be of a non-Muslim background and use discretion where appropriate. At the same time, parents have a right to send or not send their children to this school. I hope discretion will be used if there are any disagreements."
Suleman Nagdi, of the Federation of Muslim Organisations, said: "All Islamic schools have certain criteria for school uniform. I can't see anything different about the criteria they are setting in this instance."
David Willetts of the Conservative party, the shadow education secretary said: "We should expect schools with a Muslim majority to make special arrangements for non-Muslims - the majority should not oppress the minority."
The Commission for Racial Equality has urged the school to think of the needs of all pupils when assembling a policy on school uniforms.
In an editorial comment, the Sun writes: "Scarves are part of the uniform says Leicester's Madani High School. But surely no girl should be ordered to wear a symbol of another's faith? What would be the reaction if a non-Islam school ordered Muslims to take off their hijabs? To put it mildly, Muslims would be hopping mad."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 14, 2006 9:21 AM
Comments
This story is another example of how Great Britain, as well as most of Europe, is losing its cultural bearings. It is commendable that Great Britain requires at least 10 percent of an "Islamic" school to be non-Muslims to ensure cultural diversity and exposure to native British accent and language useage. However, the impact of this multicultural gesture is immediately extinguished by forcing non-Muslims girls to conform to repressive Islamic norms. Rather than being models of a viable alternate culture for Muslim girls, these token non-Muslim examples are forced into the dhimmitude status so typical of the fate of non-Muslims in Islamic societies around the world.
The only way for "diversity" to be effective in such a situation is for the government to insist that these non-Muslim models be protected from all Islamic cultural impositions and intimidation, including restrictions on free expression of non-Islamic opinions and religious beliefs. Fat chance of that ever happening under Zainam Elgaziari's watch!
Posted by: Chris ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.westernresistance.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 14, 2006 1:23 PM
This story is another example of how Great Britain, as well as most of Europe, is losing its cultural bearings. It is commendable that Great Britain requires at least 10 percent of an "Islamic" school to be non-Muslims to ensure cultural diversity and exposure to native British accent and language useage. However, the impact of this multicultural gesture is immediately extinguished by forcing non-Muslims girls to conform to repressive Islamic norms. Rather than being models of a viable alternate culture for Muslim girls, these token non-Muslim examples are forced into the dhimmitude status so typical of the fate of non-Muslims in Islamic societies around the world.
The only way for "diversity" to be effective in such a situation is for the government to insist that these non-Muslim models be protected from all Islamic cultural impositions and intimidation, including restrictions on free expression of non-Islamic opinions and religious beliefs. Fat chance of that ever happening under Zainam Elgaziari's watch!
Posted by: Chris at October 14, 2006 1:24 PM
The solution is easy, insist that the ratio of non muslim student must be 10% and that they must all wear the veil. One non muslim student signs in for the school they can only teach 10 muslim students, end of school. Would you send you, as a non muslim Infidel send your daughter or son to a muslim school? Make sure that there is a law that enables you to opt out.
Posted by: Holger Dansker at October 14, 2006 2:41 PM
Utter ridiculousness.
If a Catholic School requires all students to wear crucifix's rounds their necks as part the uniform, Muslim students would simply refuse to, and rightly so. It would be utterly unacceptable for the school to implement this item as simply part of the uniform. Ties, blazers and shirts have no religious connotations. A hijab is an overtly Islamic item, it can not simply be part of a uniform as it is an item that every Muslim woman supposedly has the choice to wear (as we are told their is no compulsion in the Islamic religion). This is demonstrably compulsion for Muslims girls to wear the hijab when the school has no right whatsoever to do so.
The fact that this school will ask non-Muslim students to wear the hijab because it 'happens to be part to the uniform' is complete and utter anality which I will not even waste time commenting on.
Posted by: chico at October 15, 2006 7:25 PM
I was wandering what happened next to this school? Did they ever carry out their threat?
Posted by: Cleopatra at October 29, 2007 5:02 PM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)