[R-G] British court rules against 'Islamic' dress

[usman x]

From
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/423449CA-5B49-42BF-9154-DCABE757AFCC.
htm

British court rules against 'Islamic' dress
Tuesday 15 June 2004 1:37 PM GMT


British Muslims have branded stae education policy 'Islamophobic'


A 15-year-old Bangladeshi Muslim schoolgirl living in Britain has lost a
legal battle for the right to wear Islamic dress in class.



In a case which echoes this year's passionate French debate over religious
clothing, Shabina Begum claimed her school had wrongly refused to allow her
to wear an ankle-length jalbab, which covers the entire body except for the
hands and face.



Begum argued at the High Court that her education was suffering and her
human rights were breached as a result.



But in a ruling which sparked anger among Muslim groups, the judge on
Tuesday dismissed her case, saying she had always had the option of
attending school in clothes under school rules.



"It seems to me very unrealistic and artificial to say that the claimant's
right to education has been denied ..," said Justice Bennett.



Condemnation



Muslim organisations condemned the judgement as "extremely worrying" and
urged Begum to appeal.



"The Muslim community is a diverse community in terms of the interpretation
of its faith and its practice. Within that broad spectrum, those who choose
to wear the jilbab and consider it to be part of the faith's requirement for
modest attire should be respected," said Muslim Council of Britain spokesman
Inayat Bunglawala said.



"The Muslim community is a diverse community in terms of the interpretation
of its faith and its practice"

Inayat Bunglawala,
spokesman, Muslim Council of Britain

Around 80% of the 1,000 pupils at Denbigh High School are Muslim and it
argued in court that it already operated a flexible school uniform policy.



The school said the jilbab posed health and safety risks, an argument
rejected by the MCB as "highly spurious".



"Many other schools have willingly accommodated Muslim schoolgirls wearing
the jilbab ..," Bunglawala said.



Impossible



Begum's lawyer Yvonne Spencer told the court it had been "impossible for her
to attend the school because she is not allowed to attend wearing her
religious dress."



But the judge said the girl had gone to school happily for two years before
she "abruptly... changed her beliefs" and refused to attend unless she would
wear a jilbab.




France recently banned wearing
of headscarves in schools


"The claimant refused because she felt compelled by her religious beliefs.
It was at all times open to her to change her mind ... and return to
school," he said.



Begum started at the school in Luton, north of London, in September 2000,
and at first wore a salwar kameez - consisting of trousers and a tunic -
which school rules allowed.



But as her interest in Islam deepened, she returned after the summer break
in September 2002 wearing the jilbab and was ordered to go home and change.
She has been back to the school only once since then, to sit an exam.



Muslim groups are already unhappy with Britain's education system, which
they last week branded Islamophobic as they called for Britain's 300,000
Muslim children to be offered exclusive Muslim schools and more single-sex
teaching.



The debate mirrors that in France, where a ban passed in March on Muslim
headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses being worn in
schools sparked a bitter row.


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"The proletarian is dead. Long live the housewife!" Claudia von Werlhof