This is good news…
Britain’s Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday that Shabina Begum had been “unlawfully denied … the right to manifest her religion.”
Begum was sent home from Denbigh High School in Luton, north of London, in September 2002 for wearing a jilbab, which covers the body except for the hands and face.
The school said the jilbab posed a health and safety risk and might cause divisions among pupils.
[Source: CNN]
I think everyone should be free to wear whatever they want to wear as long as it’s respectful.
Different people from the same society have different religions and faiths, and there should always be mutual respect for their different beliefs and ways of life.
If a person’s religion tells them to follow a certain dress code or food code, then it’s their business only and no one has the right to interfere.
This, I absolutely agree with. I just hope France can learn something from this ruling.
People, people, Europeans politicians are afraid of what’s called the Islamization of Europe, for them it’s a matter of identity, most of them abandoned the idea of multiculturalism, so of course they will do whatever they have in power to obligate all immigrants not only Muslims to merge completely with their culture. Anyway I guess that everyone has to fight for what he believes, way to go Shabina.
I don’t know about the rest of Europe, but I must agree with your assessment when it comes to France. We as human beings should not be afraid or look down on our differences, but rather embrace it.
Just wondering what your opinion would be on say the nativity scene being played by school children around Christmas time in a fundamentaly Islamic state. Should the Islamic junior school allow it?
As a Christian I would not expect muslims to change their policies to accomodate my beliefs or wishes if I was to be a member of THEIR society. It is an interesting topic and I am trying to understand.
As a quick note the nativity has been band by some innercity schools in England in case it offends any of our multi cultural guests.
Sincerely
M
Well, actually this girl wearing her gown to school is not going as far as something like that. This is more like a christian going to school wearing a cross, which he should have every right to.
Anyway, to answer your question. I don’t think anyone should change their policies or beliefs for anyone.
But they should be willing to accept others for what they are too and not try to impose their policies and beliefs on them.
For example, I’m totally against France banning muslim head scarfs, and I’m also against Saudi Arabia imposing gowns and head scarfs on foreign women.
People should start accepting each other for what they are and respecting each other’s beliefs.
As for the nativity play, well I don’t see anything against it. If a group of christian children and maybe even muslim children too want to act out that play, i think it’s totally normal.
Just like it should be normal for a bunch of muslim children to choose some Islamic event and act it out if they want.
I didn’t know about the schools that banned the nativity in England, but I think it’s wrong. They shouldn’t have done that.
Sir you are a gent
Yeah, I was about to write the same thing as MMM about how there’s a difference between telling a girl she’s unable to wear her Islamic dress and children playing a nativity scene. This young lady, like everyone else, should be able to wear what she wants. As long as she’s not imposing her religion on me, I accept her way of dressing and life. It’s not my place to tell her what she can and cannot wear. Mostly when it’s saying she cannot wear something that is a part of her religion.
And as for the nativity scene. It doesn’t bother me a whole lot of children and teachers want to do it, but I think a child shouldn’t be forced if the parent(s) are bothered by it.
Yeah, I was about to write the same thing as MMM about how there’s a difference between telling a girl she’s unable to wear her Islamic dress and children playing a nativity scene. This young lady, like everyone else, should be able to wear what she wants. As long as she’s not imposing her religion on me, I accept her way of dressing and life. It’s not my place to tell her what she can and cannot wear. Mostly when it’s saying she cannot wear something that is a part of her religion.
And as for the nativity scene. It doesn’t bother me a whole lot of children and teachers want to do it, but I think a child shouldn’t be forced if the parent(s) are bothered by it. This is in terms of public schools, of course.
MMM and Jenn I think you have missed my point and are perhaps trying to avoid the issue.
“Anyway, to answer your question. I don’t think anyone should change their policies or beliefs for anyone.”
The fact is that the policies of the school i.e. every body wears the same uniform have been changed to accomodate this girls beliefs. Rastafarians and punks have a world view that causes them to dress differently. Hair for the Punk, bright colourful head dress for the Rasta. You see school uniform is actually apart of British culture. It shows children that they are all equal regardless of status and belief.
“And as for the nativity scene. It doesn’t bother me a whole lot of children and teachers want to do it, but I think a child shouldn’t be forced if the parent(s) are bothered by it.”
I agree that children shouldn’t be forced to do the nativity. However what about the parents of children who practised the nativity when they were at school and would wish for their children to do the same? Should their child be forced not to do the nativity?
I only give the nativity as an example and ask… How far should we go?
Sincerely
M
Sorry if I didn’t make it clear. When I say “it doesn’t bother me”, I meant that they can do the nativity scene at school if they want. I don’t care. I’ll probably even attend the production.
My apologies for not understanding British practices. I am definitely NOT trying to avoid any issue. I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU! 😛 I’m totally kidding. It’s just a weird knee jerk reaction I have when someone tells me I’m TRYING TO AVOID something, like I’m scared. Pfft! 😛
Anyway, when I speak of public schools, I speak with only an American perspective which is that there are no uniforms. In my neck of the woods, only private schools have uniforms and I can care less what kind of rules they impose on their students. I assume that the parents have a choice in whether or not they like the school’s policy and can stop paying and remove their child at any time. So you see, when I say that she should wear what she wants like any other child in a public school, I mean it in a sense that kids can where (God forbid) plaid skirts, have dreds, or get 5 lips rings if they (and their parents) want. If it were a private school, then I think the child’s parents should give their money to another institution that’ll accept their values.
I don’t know how the British culture is, I suppose. Do the students really all wear uniforms in public schools?
But to me, I’m fine with teaching children that they are equals. But that’s something taught to children by their parents and is seen by example by teachers. I don’t think making her go AGAINST her religion will encourage children to feel less equal. What is so wrong with diversity? What is the problem exactly with her dress? So she’s different from me and probably most Brits. Let’s not pretend we are the same, because we’re not. We’re equals but we are all individuals and dammit if part of who she is is how she dresses (like most punks, cowboys, geeks, etc) then let her express herself as she would like. As long as she’s not disrupting my child’s education, more power to her! (And disrupting does not mean having to see her in a head dress).
By the way, I’m only trying to make a point. I’m not implying that your feelings are any of the things I have said above.
Britain can do as they would like, I don’t care too much. I can really only agree or disagree. All I know is that I had SEVERAL students in my high school wearing head dresses and I see HUNDREDS more at my university. So I know for a fact, accepting each other’s differences can work. It’s only a problem when you make it one.
My sister once told us that her teacher- in an Islamic school- asked one of the girls to remove the head scarf for several times- and she refused. One day, the teacher took it off for her to find a very bad, messy unclean hair that even contradicts with the basics of hygiene.
Jareer, I’m not quite sure what you mean by this little story.
Anyway, I don’t think that the possibility of some girl hiding dirty hair under her scarf is enough to stop all girls from wearing one.
The whole class could be wearing uniforms over dirty bodies.
That’s a problem of personal hygiene that should be mainly dealt with at home and where the school can only make a remark to the parents if they notice something.
Jenn, yes all children in Britain wear a school uniform. This has been a part of our culture since schools as we know them have existed. It is true that a childs parents could move the child to another school and stop paying the fees. But the school in question that has been forced to change their policies is a publically funded school.
If there isn’t a school uniform system in place in America, which I know there isn’t, then your going to see people wearing religious dress. The university I attend doesn’t have a dress policy and we see many different dresses from many different cultures (and I quite like that). I am not discussing whether school uniform should be in place. I am merely pointing out that in Britain the school uniform ‘policy’ for this school has been changed. If they have made this change then by rights Rastafarians should be allowed to wear their headdress, wear their hair in dreds and smoke a reefer at lunch time. Rastafarianism is a recognised religion and culture with many followers.
Another example of policy change is the removal of the nativity scene from some inner city schools, singing of hyms during assembly etc…
The question I am asking is how far should policies that reflect a countries/peoples culture, beliefs and history be changed in order to accomodate other cultures?
Sincerely
M
i totally agree with JAREER its not the issue people need to stick to the bigger issue about having the right to wear what they want weither its the religion or a cultural thing but as long as its not iffensive to others.
iam sorry i stand corrected its JAREER who i dont agree with i agree with MMM
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Dress Code
A Muslim girl could not attend her school for the last two years because she could not wear the Jilbab banned by her school. Jilbab is considered to be a health and safety hazard and is likely to lead to an unhealthy competition among its pupils to dress more Islamically. The High Court upheld the decision of the school which is worrying and objectionable in the opinion of the MCB. The ruling is