Uniform Policy Must Be Uniform.

Note: readers in Sydney may remember a similar situation in Sydney a few years ago. A muslim girl fought against her school's uniform policy to be allowed to wear the jilbab to school. Not surprisingly, Bob Carr, that faux-est of faux Labor Premiers of NSW, hurried to give into the girl, and treated the school management like rubbish.

Not so in Britain.



London
March 23, 2006 - 12:09AM

A British girl has lost a legal battle to be allowed to wear full Islamic dress in school in a case which has been likened to the row in France over the wearing of Muslim headscarves.

Shabina Begum, now 17, was sent home from school in September 2002 and ordered to change her clothes after she turned up wearing a jilbab, a long gown which covers the whole body except for the hands and face.

She successfully appealed against the school's decision in March 2005 when the Appeal Court ruled her human rights had been breached by the ban.

Her case was championed by Cherie Booth, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and a prominent human rights lawyer.

But Ms Begum's school, Denbigh High in Luton, north of London, itself appealed against last year's decision and yesterday was backed by Britain's highest court, the House of Lords.

The Lords said Ms Begum's family knew what the school's uniform policy was when they sent her there and should have enrolled her at a different school if they objected to it.

Ms Begum said she was disappointed by the verdict but proud to have taken issue with a ban which she and others among Britain's 1.6-million-strong Muslim population regarded as a fundamental breach of their rights.

"Obviously I am saddened and upset at the result but I am glad that I can now move on, having made a stand to speak out against this," said Ms Begum, who was in the House of Lords to hear the decision. She has since left the school.

Denbigh High said it was pleased with the verdict while Luton Council, which had backed the school, described it as "excellent news".

"We are pleased that Denbigh High has finally been vindicated," the council said in a statement. "The school has always adopted an inclusive uniform policy that satisfies the religious needs and cultural backgrounds of its pupils."

Muslim groups were dismayed by the ruling.

"On a matter of principle we are disappointed," said Tahir Alam, education spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, the country's largest Muslim lobby group.

"There are lots of schools across the country which allow the jilbab and this issue should have been resolved at a local level. It's unfortunate that it's gone through the courts."

The case, which has rumbled on for 3-1/2 years, has drawn comparisons with the furore in France triggered by a ban on Muslim headscarves in state schools.

France banned all conspicuous religious clothing, including headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses. The move sparked angry protests across the Islamic world.


Comment: This situation is a prime example of where the Western governments must start in getting their muslim communities to conform with Western norms and lifestyle.

The function of compulsory schooling includes several aspects...one of them is to produce adults who fit in with the general norms of the host society. Without this 'fitting in' the average muslim 18 year old will be unemployable (except by another muslim), and will thus not find any benefit from the society around them. This is both cruel to the 18 year old and bad for australian society.

School uniforms should be enforced rigorously (medical exceptions recognised)with the aim of blending all the students into a homogeneous group. This aids the proper socilising of the child into the host society, which has a vested interested in a homogeneous 'next generation'.

Australia is not North Korea. Conforming to the social norms is not a serious burden in this country. Catholics and Jews have not had any problems. Nor have Cambodian migrants. All children here should have the opportunity to experience a common australian childhood (wide ranging education, games, beach, swimming, movies, music, concerts, end of term plays, etc). This helps dramatically to produce 'Australians'.

(If you ask 'what is an Australian?' ... clearly you aren't one.)

Is anyone awake in Canberra?