Muslim teacher suspended for wearing veil

You —

[quote][size=18]Muslim teacher defends her veil[/size]


A Muslim support teacher suspended for wearing a veil in class says it was never a problem for her pupils.


Headfield Church of England Junior School, in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said pupils found it hard to understand her during English language lessons.


But Aishah Azmi, 24, said: "They never complained." She added she was willing to take the veil off in class, but not in front of any male colleagues.


London Mayor Ken Livingstone said he would like Muslims to give up the veil.


[b]'Unacceptable' request[/b]


But he suggested change was not something that could be imposed from outside the Muslim community.


He said: ""People have fought for centuries to establish freedom of religion and culture.


"It is the choice of each individual what they believe and what they wear. It is unacceptable for any politician to ask a woman coming to seek help to take off a Muslim veil or any other item of religious clothing."


Mr Livingstone said any change would happen from within, and that it was important to engage with "the progressive elements and leaders in the Muslim community".


Ms Azmi was suspended pending the outcome of an employment tribunal, which is due to announce its decision within the next two weeks.


Kirklees Council said she was asked to take off her veil in class and refused, but the action was "nothing to do with religion", only a practical matter about making herself understood.


But Ms Azmi told Today: "It hasn't caused a problem between myself and the children. They've never complained and we had a brilliant relationship."


She added: "To say the students have a problem with communication, that's not right."


Disputing the school's version of events, she insisted she had always been willing to take off her veil in front of the children but would not in front of male colleagues.


[b]'Koran instruction'[/b]


She had been instructed to take it off throughout the school day, she said.


"The veil is really important to all Muslim women who choose to wear it. Our religion compels us to wear it because it's in the Koran."


The school, which has 529 pupils aged seven to 11, takes many children from different ethnic backgrounds where English is not the first language.


The Leader of the Commons, Jack Straw, first raised the issue last week when he suggested the full veil over the face separated communities.


About 60 demonstrators gathered outside his morning surgery at Bangor Street Community Centre in Blackburn on Saturday.


A larger demonstration had been planned but was abandoned because of safety concerns.


A survey in the Guardian newspaper suggests 53% of people support Mr Straw in thinking the veils create a barrier between Muslims and other people.


But three-quarters opposed a ban on veils being worn outside the home.


[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/6050392.stm]BBC News[/url][/quote]


Forum

Noor — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 00:25

[b][color=indigo]I have heard your point of view a million times before. Theres no need of you to repeat yourself!!


and TEX, you dont anything no about me, so keep your comments and judgments to yourself![/color][/b]


peacegirl — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 00:28

I wouldn't like to call my muslim sis narrow minded! I respect her opinion..........thats life,,,,,,,,,everyones different..........I'm just the type of person that tries to fit in and get along..........and when it comes to islam................I always want to leave people with a good opinion!


TEX — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 00:30

saima can say what she likes, noor u have sed ur opinions on the same things a billion tyms too :roll:


i can tell by the `style` u write on the forum, u seem very uncompramising, unwilling to see things from other ppls point of views,


peacegirl — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 00:30

[quote="Noor...*"][b][color=indigo]I have heard your point of view a million times before. Theres no need of you to repeat yourself!!


and TEX, you dont anything about me, so keep your comments and judgments to yourself![/color][/b][/b][/quote]


I don't think there are a million comments here anyway.......and stop me if i'm wrong........most people are in favour of the niqaab in this forum??? so if my opinion differs from yours, let it be. and don't say i've heard it a million times. its childish!


I've heard you comment plenty of time. I didn't complain!


Noor — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 00:38

[b][color=indigo]I would hardly call 4/5 post a million times and Saima i didnt mean it literally.


TEX, If it makes you happy, then yes i am narrow minded. I am whatever you want me to be, "im right your wrong"


:roll: [/color][/b]


peacegirl — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 00:41

[quote="Noor...*"][b][color=indigo]I would hardly call 4/5 post a million times and Saima i didnt mean it literally.


TEX, If it makes you happy, then yes i am narrow minded. I am whatever you want me to be, "im right your wrong"


:roll: [/color][/b][/quote]


noor......like you are entiteld to your opinion...........so am I ! These forums don't give us a limit as to how many times we can say things! I'm allowed to give feedback on your comments!


*DUST* — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 01:20

you guys should stay on the topic. 😛 take personal bickering to PM please. 😉 (note: that does NOT apply to judda!) 😛


as always mashaAllah yash's post summed up my feelings on the matter too. 🙂 most muslims seemed to be criticising this sis when her case came in the news, 'why can't she take it off in front of kids, she's teaching english, they have to see her face etc etc.' but she came on the radio and clarified a lot of things, i hope all of you guys have heard that interview.


although i don't personally believe niqab is fardh i do wear it when i feel the need and support every sis who chooses to wear it full-time. i disagreed with this sis when she said there is [b]quranic[/b] evidence behind the niqab being fardh (i think the evidence is in the ahadith) but i am no scholar and Allahu a'alam.


incidentally i was wearing niqab in the city centre recently and this middle-aged lady could not stop staring at me. as she walked past she said 'that is freaky'. its the first time i've had a negative comment about niqab to my face, i wasnt really offended. but she had a child with her and all i thought was 'great, now that child is going to think all niqabis are freaks'. yash is right about kids being unprejudiced until adults make them that way.


You — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 01:32

[quote][size=18]Veil teacher 'should be sacked'[/size]


A Muslim teaching assistant suspended for refusing to remove her veil in class should be sacked, a local government minister has said.


Phil Woolas, whose brief includes race relations, told the Sunday Mirror that Aishah Azmi, 23, had "put herself in a position where she can't do her job".


Ms Azmi, who works at a junior school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said her pupils never complained about the veil.


She said she would remove the garment, but not in front of male colleagues.


Mr Woolas told the newspaper this amounted to sexual discrimination.


He added: "She is denying the right of children to a full education by insisting that she wears the veil."


[b]Acceptance plea[/b]


Earlier, Kirklees Council said she was asked to take off her veil in class at Headfield Church of England Junior School because the children had difficulty understanding her in English lessons.


After she refused to remove the veil, it was decided to suspend her pending an employment tribunal.


The council said the school's action had "nothing to do with religion".


Ms Azmi told the BBC her veil had not caused problems with the children, with whom she had a "brilliant relationship".


"The children are aware of my body language, my eye expressions, the way I'm saying things.


"If people think it is a problem, what about blind children? They can't see anything but they have a brilliant education, so I don't think my wearing the veil affects the children at all."


The school, which has 529 pupils aged seven to 11, takes many children from different ethnic backgrounds where English is not the first language.


[b]Religious freedoms[/b]


The Leader of the Commons, Jack Straw, initiated a debate on veil-wearing last week when he suggested the full veil over the face separated communities.


On Saturday, London Mayor Ken Livingstone weighed into the debate, saying he would like Muslims to give up the veil.


But he suggested change was not something that could be imposed from outside the Muslim community.


He said: "People have fought for centuries to establish freedom of religion and culture.


"It is the choice of each individual what they believe and what they wear."


A survey in the Guardian newspaper suggested 53% of people supported Mr Straw in thinking the veils create a barrier between Muslims and other people.


But three-quarters opposed a ban on veils being worn outside the home.


[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/6050392.stm]BBC News[/url][/quote]


He is the MP for Oldham East is he not?


Well I am not surprised. He has come out with inflamatory remarks in the past.


He also blamed the Oldham riots of 2001 on Islam. Not the fact that communities were cooked up foir weeks while the police did not do nearly to stop racist thugs copming into and then overrunning the town.


stmark — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 01:43

[quote="Exquisite"][color=magenta]dont strt name calling, if she wants to waer the niqaab she should have been allowed to[/color][/quote]Not when she's teachung but it's not just happening to muslims. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/14102006/140/ba-bans-worker-wearing-cross.html

British Airways has banned a Christian woman from wearing a cross on a necklace to work. Heathrow check-in worker Nadia Eweida was sent home after refusing to remove the crucifix, which breached BA's dress code. The Daily Mail said Miss Eweida is suing her employer for religious discrimination after being suspended from work without pay for two weeks.


The move has been criticised by Christian groups and Miss Eweida's MP Vince Cable.


Miss Eweida told the paper: "I will not hide my belief


in the Lord Jesus. British Airways permits Muslims to wear a headscarf, Sikhs to wear a turban and other faiths religious apparel.


"Only Christians are forbidden to express their faith. I am a loyal and conscientious employee of British Airways, but I stand up for the rights of all citizens."


Mr Cable told Sky News that he found BA's position "incomprehensible".


"We are not questioning the policy of exempting other religion faiths," he said.


"We can't understand why they are coming down so heavily on someone who wants to advertise their religious faith. She did it in a very modest way."


The Mail says the 55-year-old from Twickenham was ordered to remove her cross or hide it beneath a company cravat by a duty manager at Heathrow's Terminal 4 last month.


She then sought permission from management to wear the chain - but was turned down.


A British Airways spokeswoman said: "British Airways does recognise that uniformed employees may wish to wear jewellery including religious symbols.


"Our uniform policy states that these items can be worn underneath their uniform. There is no ban.


"This rule applies for all jewellery and religious symbols on chains and is not specific to the cross."


Her case is being supported by her union, the TGWU, and a petition of support has been signed by more than 200 fellow workers


Noor — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 01:54

[color=indigo][b]Intresting interview by the sister, cleared up a few misconceptions however, i dnt agree with the last part of the interview.[/b][/color]


*DUST* — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 02:11

[quote="Noor...*"][color=indigo][b]Intresting interview by the sister, cleared up a few misconceptions however, i dnt agree with the last part of the interview.[/b][/color][/quote]

which part was that? her belief in it being fardh?


Noor — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 02:14

[quote="*DUST*"][quote="Noor...*"][color=indigo][b]Intresting interview by the sister, cleared up a few misconceptions however, i dnt agree with the last part of the interview.[/b][/color][/quote]

which part was that? her belief in it being fardh?[/quote]


[b][color=indigo]Yeah.[/color][/b]


stmark — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 02:14

[quote="Exquisite"][color=magenta]so why did thy bring up the topic now?if it was an issue shouldnt thy have addressed i when it arose orginally?[/color][/quote]Because they're too politically correct in britan. The multiculturalists want to let all the immigrants come over and keep everything about their own culture and they assume they will all get along witjout changing anything but it won't work that way. To have a multicultural society your going to have to comprimise on some things or your going to get on each others nerves. You wouldn't want the head hunter from africa to come there abd start hunting heads just because it's his culture to do that. You probably wouldn't want a witch doctor to carry around his voodoo dolls but the brits might not say anything because that's his culture and voodoo is his religion.


*DUST* — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 02:21

[quote="Noor...*"][quote="*DUST*"][quote="Noor...*"][color=indigo][b]Intresting interview by the sister, cleared up a few misconceptions however, i dnt agree with the last part of the interview.[/b][/color][/quote]

which part was that? her belief in it being fardh?[/quote]


[b][color=indigo]Yeah.[/color][/b][/quote]

same here, but there are differences of opinion on this and many other parts of our faith, doesn't mean we can't all get along - as you said we just have to learn to respect eachothers' opinion, agree to disagree and all that. 🙂


st. mark can you stick to the topic please, or open a new thread for what you want to discuss.


Noor — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 02:24

[quote="*DUST*"]

same here, but there are differences of opinion on this and many other parts of our faith, doesn't mean we can't all get along - as you said we just have to learn to respect eachothers' opinion, agree to disagree and all that. :)[/quote]


[color=indigo][b]Yup, even though us Muslims may disagree with some aspects in Islam, Allahmdulliah we all still get along with each just fine! 🙂 [/b][/color]


*DUST* — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 02:29

[quote="Noor...*"][quote="*DUST*"]

same here, but there are differences of opinion on this and many other parts of our faith, doesn't mean we can't all get along - as you said we just have to learn to respect eachothers' opinion, agree to disagree and all that. :)[/quote]


[color=indigo][b]Yup, even though us Muslims may disagree with some aspects in Islam, Allahmdulliah we all still get along with each just fine! 🙂 [/b][/color][/quote]alhumdulillah. and i shall take your leave on that cheery note. 🙂


subhanAllah its an odd night dunno what i'm doing here. please remember me in your pious du'as everyone.


jazaakumullah khair, wassalaam.


stmark — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 - 02:42

[quote="Noor...*"][quote="saima786"][quote="Noor...*"][quote="saima786"]first of all COVERING D FACE IS WRONG IN A NON MUSLIM COUNTRY![/quote]

[b][color=indigo]

Says who?[/color][/b][/quote]


ME!!!!!! [/quote]


[b][color=indigo]And why shall i listen to you or anyone else for that matter?

For the millionth time, EVERY individual has the right to wear what they want regardless of how it effects society around them!!!!


This issue been disscussd a million times! It's obvious that your not going to agree so whats the point in arguing over it?


Get over it!

[/color][/b][/quote]If you feel that way you had best not live in a multicultural society. By that reasoning the kkk has a right to wear their face mask and gown. the nazis can wear their swatstikas and and boots goosestep and the witch doctors can carry their voodoo dolls in public. You need to change your thinking or there's going to be trouble.