A fifteen-year-old Muslim girl attending Denbigh High School in Luton, Shabina Begum, was sent home to change by the school after arriving wearing a strict form of Islamic dress called
School Uniform Crisis
Following a recent court ruling, schools all over the country are re-assessing the way in which uniform policies are implemented and enforced. Previously it has been widely accepted uniforms in schools create a sense of unity and pride in the school. Indeed one of the purposes of school is to prepare children for the adult world, where a lot of jobs require a dress code. Students also don't have to waste time deciding what to wear, as punctuality is important in school. When conducting practical lessons such as Design Technology, Science, PE and even going on field trips, school uniforms are practical as they are easy to wash and reasonably cheap to replace when damaged and they do not get caught in machinery or cause other hindrance. Wearing school uniform eliminates dress competition amongst students as some are poorer than others and this can help prevent bullying. Most importantly, uniform enables equal opportunity as everyone is dressed the same therefore there can be no stereotyping.
A fifteen-year-old Muslim girl attending Denbigh High School in Luton, Shabina Begum, was sent home to change by the school after arriving wearing a strict form of Islamic dress called the jilbab. This is an ankle length gown, which covers the whole body revealing only the face and hands. Before this Shabina had worn the approved school uniform, a compromise between secular and religious dress, since the age of twelve. She accused the school of denying her the "right to education and to manifest her religious beliefs." (1) A series of court cases began, and Mr. Justice Bennet sitting in the High Court ruled in favour of the school. In his summing up he said,
" It seems unrealistic and artificial to say that the claimants right to education has been denied." (2)
He also dismissed Shabina's application for Judicial review. Shabina then asked the Court of Appeal to hear the case on the basis that it raised issues of general importance over the question of dress in multi-cultural schools. The Court of Appeal held,
"that a Muslim girl's human rights were violated by a school's insistence on it's dress code." (3)
Therefore it awarded Shabina ten thousand pounds in compensation.
Denbigh High School is a one thousand pupil comprehensive school, where almost eighty percent of pupils are Muslim. After consulting Islamic scholars along with the predominantly Muslim board of governors and the pupils themselves the school had specified a uniform particularly suitable for Muslim girls. This was the shalwar kamiz, a tunic and baggy trousers that the other Muslim girls in the school were happy to wear as this hides the feminine form and fits the criteria for dressing modestly. The school had been concerned about stricter styles ...
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Therefore it awarded Shabina ten thousand pounds in compensation.
Denbigh High School is a one thousand pupil comprehensive school, where almost eighty percent of pupils are Muslim. After consulting Islamic scholars along with the predominantly Muslim board of governors and the pupils themselves the school had specified a uniform particularly suitable for Muslim girls. This was the shalwar kamiz, a tunic and baggy trousers that the other Muslim girls in the school were happy to wear as this hides the feminine form and fits the criteria for dressing modestly. The school had been concerned about stricter styles of Islamic dress, as it would create division amongst the students. Not all Muslim girls want to wear the jilbab and would disapprove of being forced to wear it, as it is very much a personal choice. The school claimed the jilbab was also a health and safety risk as it is very loose and could easily get caught in machinery in the same way as jewellery which must be removed, or long hair which must be tied back. Regarding her rights to an education, the school also argued that they had tried to compromise with Miss Begum but that they could not come to an agreed solution. The school is just trying to have a standard uniform to make all students equal. The school also made it clear that Miss Begum had chosen to attend Denbigh High knowing the uniform policy when she enrolled and if she no longer agreed with it, she was free to move to another school.
A verse in the Qur'an in regard to modest dress states,
"O prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their jalabib close around them, that is better that they will be recognised and not annoyed. And god is ever forgiving, gentle." (4)
The word Jailbait is the plural of jilbab. The word hijab is another style of jilbab which comes from the word haya, meaning modesty. The minimum requirement for dressing modestly for women is to hide the female form with loose clothing allowing the face, hands and feet to be seen. Islamic girls are required to follow these rules from around the time they reach puberty which could be from as young as nine years old.
There are several styles of Islamic dress which meet the requirements but there is no single correct style of Islamic dress. Muslims around the world do not all dress the same. Predominantly worn by women of the Middle East, the hijab is hood-like covering the hair, neck and shoulders. The jilbab is a loose gown worn in addition to the hijab and covers the body from the neck downward. The burqa is similar to the jilbab but also covers the face. These are worn by Muslim women around the globe and are personal preferences where a country's law does not dictate how a woman should dress. In Africa, Muslim women wear brightly coloured headscarves with contrasting long sarongs called a wrappa. Pakistani Muslims wear the shalwar kamiz, which is also sometimes worn by Sikhs and Hindus. In Saudi Arabia women wear the burqa that covers the whole body and a veil covering the face leaving only the hands exposed. Another style of the burqa does not cover the whole face as the eyes can be seen, however some women wear dark glasses to cover their eyes. Sarees are worn by women in Bangladesh and also by women of other faiths throughout India. In the western part of the world, some Muslim women choose not to adopt any kind of traditional dress and wear western clothes, sometimes with a headscarf.
Although Denbigh High School offers the choice to wear the school's shalwar kamiz uniform, Shabina refused, whilst admitting it meets the requirement for modesty. However, she argued that the shalwar kamiz is not a form of Islamic dress as it is worn by women in the Indian subcontinent of other faiths; Sikhs and Hindus, as mentioned earlier. Therefore, Shabina argued, it was important for her to differentiate between eastern and Islamic clothing. A panel of Muslim scholars and Imams, whilst discussing Shabina's case on a channel four program said, "the jilbab is more than just a cloth, it's a way of life." (5) But they also concluded that whilst modest dress includes the jilbab, it does not exclude the shalwar kamiz.
It shouldn't be forgotten, that the jilbab is optional, a personal preference for Shabina, and not mentioned as a necessity in the Qur'an.
In France, the government have banned all religious symbols. The main reason for this is that they are determined to remain a secular society and also to ensure equality amongst pupils. However, there are concerns amongst Sikhs about whether or not they will allow the turban. Sikhs don't cut their hair, therefore the turban is required and must be worn a specific way. It is also necessary for orthodox Jews to have keep their head covered at all times. It is said to be a sin in Islam to use religious clothing as a fashion statement, however many of the girls chose to differ from stricter Muslim girls and wear headscarves made by major fashion houses such as Chanel and Dolce and Gabbana. Other Muslim girls, who are less strict, are happy to blend in and compromise with their school uniforms, wearing what is considered acceptable by the school. Whether it be a shalwar kameez in keeping with the school uniform colours, or trousers instead of a skirt with normal school uniform.
Some schools in France have banned all types of religious symbolism, some are happy to compromise as it has been left to the discretion of heads of school and individual teachers to decide what is and isn't appropriate. In the schools where a compromise was reached, Muslim girls were asked to wear a bandanna that would cover their hair instead of the headscarf. They were told that it should not be in colours symbolising Islam, nor should it be worn in the same way as the headscarf. Some girls were actually taken to one side and asked to show their foreheads and ears by teachers in a recent documentary. Some of the girls were even willing to sacrifice their education when asked if they would rather give up the veil or their education, even though they knew their own parents would have asked them to continue with their education. The schools have stressed the importance of the pupils' continuation of their studies and have said that in no circumstance do they wish to take further action, although they have threatened suspension of pupils who refuse to comply with the legislation. Despite the girls' protestations and determination not to compromise, they returned after the school holidays wearing the bandanna, removing their headscarves at the school gates.
In Britain the Department for Education and Skills guidelines say that the uniform policy must be sensitive to differences and the need to adhere to dress for cultural or religious reasons. It also stresses that pupils should not be disciplined for refusing to stick to a uniform for religious reasons. But how far can the guidelines for uniform policy be stretched? On a lighter note, a link to the Shabina story on the Internet asks the question that following the 2001census should the contributor "As a practising Jedi knight, will I be allowed to wear my cape and carry my light sabre to school." (6)
Like most teenage girls, I feel Shabina is just trying to make a statement and to separate herself from the crowd in order to be different.
The different races, faiths and backgrounds of children can still be recognised in school but they must be treated the same to be accepted as equals. If Muslim girls are allowed to wear religious clothing this will display differences and cause segregation in schools. Complete freedom for pupils to express every variety of religious conviction would prove too expensive for a state educational system. Instead It may be best to consider a secular learning environment where all religion is left at the school gates.
(1) BBC News UK edition website visited 30/03/05 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4311193.stm Wednesday 2nd March 2005 18:11 GMT
(2)BBC News UK edition website visited 15/03/2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3808073.stm Tuesday 15th June 2004 16:18GMT
(3) BBC News UK edition website visited 30/03/05 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4311193.stm Wednesday 2nd March 2005 18:11 GMT
(4) Qur'an, surah (verse) al Ahzab ayah 59 (33:59)
(5) Shariah TV 2 Program2 Thursday 31st March 2005 00:05
(6) Origination forum visited 10/04/2005 http:community.channel4.com/eve/ubb.x?a=frm&s=162603557&f=8476000511 Sunday 10th April 2005
