Court of Appeal reverses ruling over Muslim dress
At the risk of awakening a sleeping giant :P...
BBC Linkage
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBC
A girl was unlawfully excluded from school for wearing a traditional Muslim gown, Appeal Court judges have ruled.
Lord Justice Brooke said Denbigh High School in Luton, Beds, denied Shabina Begum, 16 - now at another school - the right to manifest her religion.
He called for more guidance for schools on complying with the Human Rights Act. ..In their ruling the Appeal Court judges said the school had a right to set a school uniform policy but nobody had considered Miss Begum had a right recognised by English law.
The onus lay on the school to justify any interference with that right, the judges ruled.
Lord Justice Brooke said: "Instead, it started from the premise that its uniform policy was there to be obeyed: if the claimant did not like it, she could go to a different school."
Although Miss Begum had won her case, she no longer sought an order from the court that the school took her back and no longer sought any damages, he added...The ruling, which has major implications for multi-faith schools across the country, has been welcomed by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) as a "common-sense approach".
MCB Secretary-General Iqbal Sacranie said: "This is a very important ruling on the issue of personal freedoms. The British Muslim community is a diverse community in terms of the interpretation and understanding of their faith and its practice.
"Within this broad spectrum those that believe and choose to wear the jilbab and consider it to be part of their faith requirement for modest attire should be respected."