Sacked
Aishah Azmi. She’s a 24 year old muslim woman who works as a teaching assistant at a school in West Yorkshire. She’s been suspended for refusing to remove her veil in front of male colleagues.
A Muslim classroom assistant suspended by a school for wearing a veil in lessons has been sacked.
Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik:
"While I would absolutely defend her right to wear the veil in society, it’s very clear that her wearing the veil in the classroom setting inhibits her ability to support children."
Classroom? Society? Same thing surely? Children aren’t part of society? Schools aren’t part of society? Ms Azmi has maintained all along that her veil does NOT affect her ability to support the children in her care. She’s the one in the classroom. She’s a teaching assistant so there’ll be a teacher as well, probably another assistant too.
Here are my comments from WW’s original post. I said at the time I’d blog it and forgot. Sorry.
The only valid reasoning I can think of for asking ANYONE to remove any facial covering is the same as that used in banks to ask people to remove motorcycle helmets. And even there I think it’s pushing it a bit.
As far as I can tell there is no formal uniform required at this school (there isn’t at most schools tbh)
“You cannot have a teacher who wears a veil simply because there are men in the room.”
Why not? Surely it’s the same as “You cannot have a teacher who wears TROUSERS simply because there are men in the room.” Or replace veil with any other item of clothing. Or make-up? Surely that too hides the wearers face? Glasses? Beard?I’m sorry Mr Bearded Teacher but I find it hard to understand you as the lower part of your face is obscured by your beard. Will they sack him if he refuses to shave?
