Once again the veil rears it's ugly head

[anotheoldgit]

Should a school girl be allowed to wear the niqab in class?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/02/05/nveil05.xml

[Oneeyedvic]

imho - No, a student should not be able to wear the niqab

[Loosehead]

Guess what? we are giving them legal aid to fight the case where the school gets nowt. What is going on? the bloody lunatics are running the asylum! Surly these bloody fanatic loonies have and ounce of common between them. Dunno why it's called common sense, it ain't that common!

[jenstar]

Depends. Just how bad is her acne?

[naz_nomad]

Only if every other student is allowed to wear what they like ... the wearing of a niqab is a personal choice, not governed by religion.

[suffragette]

Loosehead, I did read that the Muslim Educational Centre Of Oxford are going to contribute to the school's fighting fund against this girl and are encouraging other Muslims to do so. This Muslim group believes it is not necessary for Muslim girls to adopt this Saudi influenced item of clothing and reject her argument completely.

[Loosehead]

Weel Good on them if that's the case suffragette, good to hear they're not all a bunch of fanatics.

[Barmaid]

I think there is also another side to this argument and I hope the school fights it. I don't know anything about this case, but suppose for a moment the girl does not want to wear the niqab? She is made to do so by her parents but attending school is her only bit of freedom from domestic arrangements that she personally finds oppressive. She is only 14 though and does not have the nerve to rebel against something that she finds quite intimidating. Her forced wearing of this garment, she feels hinders relationships with her peers and and restricts communication and makes her stand out - she desperately wants to fit in. Her parents insist on her wearing this garment and she despises it. I know my argument has massive flaws, and I can't for one minute profess to understand the emotions and beliefs involved, but I can't help thinking that a child may be being used to fight for the rights of people to wear this garment, possibly at the expense of the truly desired rights of the child herself.

[NikkiB]

12 years old and pressurised to wear a mask. Disgraceful. The veil is a ridiculous garment that should be confined to the bin of history. It's sole purpose is to brand and control women.

When a woman reaches 18 and wants/is prepared to be forced or brainwashed to wear it, let her be foolish. But anyone younger than that, any schoolchild, should not be wearing it under any circumstances. What a dreadful way to treat a child. I read that her older sisters all went through school with a mask on. Shame on their parents, the school, the Govt for allowing this to happen. How can she do PE, how can she navigate her way through corridors, breathe in fresh air, avoid rickets, avoid tripping up, avoid seeing an oncoming lorry from the side? Too near a flame in cookery classes and her whole ensemble will go up like a rocket. How can her teachers understand what she says? How can she avoid isolation or bullying from other students?
12 years old and prevented from feeling the sun on her face for the rest of her life. It's nothing short of child abuse.

[Hammer Head]

Would they allow my daughter to wear a Balaclava in class? I think not.

[Oneeyedvic]

NikkB - firstly, as stated in my first answer, I don't think that children should wear this to school.

However, I see no reason why a parent can't bring their child up in a religious way, just as I see no reason that they can't bring them up as a vegetarian.

[NikkiB]

Oneyedvic - but some things are fundamentally right and fair, some things fundamentally wrong. Human beings evolved as social creatures and body language and facial expression are sophisticated and innate for that reason. Therefore it's unnatural to wear a veil as a lifestyle choice whether it's down to religious demands or not. I don't care whether it's in the Koran or not. It's completely unacceptable. And no child should suffer so severely for their parents religious convictions. I'm sure the father doesn't wear a veil himself but how magnanimous of him to sacrifice his daughter for the sake of his religious conviction. When she swelters in mid July whilst other children innocently relax or play in t-shirts I hope he bursts with pride.
Are the Muslims who lived in Britain in 2007 superior to the ones who lived here in 1977? Hardly any of them veiled and the sky didn't come crashing down.

[whynot??]

I think that Muslim girls who don't wear it are not strict Muslims

[Oneeyedvic]

NikkiB - I don't believe that this is fundamental right or wrong - and to try and demonstrate my point, lets take a different example.

To me (and hopefully the majority of British people) it is fundamentally wrong to allow a 13 year old girl to have consentual sex.

This is because of our upbringing and society.

From an evolutionary point of view (and not to be too crude) but a girl is ready for sex as soon as she starts having periods.

From a different cultures point of view (and I take Spain to illustrate my point), there is nothing wrogn with a 13 year old having sex - which is why the age of consent in Spain is 13.

Different cultures, different habits & social elements.

I haven't read much about Islam, but I do know that (like Christianity) it can be perverted by those who want to for their own means.

I don't think that most religions are 'sensible' however, if someone does want to follow a religion then that is their choice.

As I stated, I do have a problem with the niqab in schools, but I don't have a problem with one in most public places

[ludwig]

I like the french attitude on this -'No religious clothing/ Jewellery/silly hats of any kind in state schools. End of story. You don't like it?, fine - go to a private school where they allow it'.

[*ALFIE*]

I said once before in another thread, why can't they just wear the head scarf rather then the full veil ??? its still preserving Islamic value ???

[Ctrak]

To add to Alfie's point, why not just practice you religion and stop waving it around like some huge fancy ID card?