SCHOOL DRESSCODE
With an eye on Muslim hijab, Swiss People’s Party members in canton Valais have collected more than 4,000 signatures calling for a ban on headgear in public schools – despite a recent federal court decision rejecting a similar ban in another part of the country.
The initiative committee, led by the Valais branch of the conservative right People’s Party, submitted 4,385 certified signatures supporting the popular initiative on Monday – about 10% more than required.
Now it’s up to canton Valais to either amend the current law or to draw up a new one; if that doesn’t happen within three years, then voters will decide on the matter via a referendum.
Parliamentarian Jean-Luc Addor, co-head of the initiative committee, says that while headscarves don’t currently pose a problem in canton Valais, the situation could change. He considers headscarves a sign of the subjugation of women.
A group called V.I.V.E. has already formed to fight the proposed ban with a manifesto decrying the “spread of Islamophobia”.
In December 2015, the Federal Court ruled that the local authorities of St Margrethen in eastern Switzerland could not ban hijab – arguing that wearing a headscarf was not an obstacle to effective teaching or learning.
With burkas in mind, voters in canton Ticino banned clothing that covers the face in 2013. There have also been attempts (some ongoing) to bring in so-called burka bans in cantons Aargau, Valais and Zurich.
In addition, a group of rightwing politicians is currently trying to bring about a nationwide headgear ban in Switzerland.
swissinfo.ch and agencies
Categories: Europe, Europe and Australia, Hijab, Switzerland, The Muslim Times
A man is the product of his culture, language and faith. Muslim community is different from the host community as far as culture, language and faith is concerned. Muslim children must develop their cultural, linguistic and spiritual identity before they are exposed to wider world, otherwise, they would be lost in western jungle. British schooling is the home of institutional racism. The result is that Muslim children are unable to develop self-confidence and self-esteem. Racism is deeply rooted in British society. British schools are not doing enough to tackle racism and promote race relations. Many teachers are unaware of racist attitudes amongst pupils. Muslim children also need state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods.
None of 7/7 bombers and British Muslim youths who are in Syria and Iraq are the product of Muslim schools. They are the product of British schooling which is the home of institutional racism with chicken racist native teachers. It is absurd to believe that Muslim schools, Imams and Masajid teach Muslim children anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-western views. It is dangerously deceptive and misleading to address text books and discuss them out of their historical, cultural and linguistic context. It is not wrong to teach children that Jews are committing the same cruelty in Palestine what German did to them before or during Second World War. It is not wrong to teach children that anti-social behaviour, drinking, drugs, homosexuality, sex before marriage, teenage pregnancies and abortions are western values and Islam is against all such sins. This does not mean that Muslim schools teach children to hate westerners, Jews and homosexuals.
Muslim children must learn and be well versed in standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. At the same time he must learn and be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural heritage and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village. He does not want to become notoriously monolingual Brit. The whole world belongs to Muslims.
I have always said, the more languages you know, the broader your cultural knowledge. Those who say you must only use one language narrow their perception of the world. Also, people who can learn languages are good at playing musical instruments. Languages should be taught more in school. When I speak in Arabic I feel like a poet and when in English, I feel like a philosopher. “This mental flexibility pays big dividends especially later in life: the typical signs of cognitive ageing occur later in bilinguals – and the onset of age-related degenerative disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer’s are delayed in bilinguals by up to five years.” We are amazed by being able to speak multilingual which is great Ever thought of the One God Creator Who made these languages.
I have been campaigning for state funded Muslim schools for the last 45 years. I set up the first Muslim school in London in 1981. Now there are 188 schools and only 18 schools are state funded. I would like to see each and every Muslim child in a state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers. I hope my dream would come true one day.
Indiscipline, incivility, binge drinking, drug addiction, gun and knife crimes, teenage pregnancies and abortion are part and parcel of British schooling. These are the reasons why majority of Muslim parents would like to send their children to Muslim schools with Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. Only less than 10% attend Muslim schools and more than 90% keep on attending state and church schools to be mis-educated and de-educated by non-Muslim monolingual teachers.
There are hundreds of state and church schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be opted out as Muslim Academies. This means the Muslim children will get a decent education. Muslim schools turned out balanced citizens, more tolerant of others and less likely to succumb to criminality or extremism. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school.
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
The hijab is not and will never be a thing of fashion! It’s for showing modesty !!! Hijab is to cover yourself not to expose/attract others. Hijab is never a fashion. Those who try to make it like a fashion have bad intentions.
Hijab is not just a headscarf, there is deep wisdom behind it ! It has a deeper meaning than what people seem to think unsure emoticon that’s so sad to see how corrupted the society can be … hijab means ” barrier ” in Arabic … It’s for honouring women !! For freeing them from the pressure of the society … a woman with hijab is a woman who knows who she is ! She is not objectified like in the filthy western culture !! She’s a woman who is respected ! A woman who fears her lord and surrenders to him !! Hijab embodies this amazing worship !! So ,dear sisters , if you want to be attractive and attract men, just take your hijab off , but don’t use hijab ! Don’t spoil hijab’s meaning ! This is called hypocrisy !!
Hijab doesn’t have to be black but simple and comfortable. Hijab is not fashion.
Hijab fashion I think it’s too much. We don’t put Hijab on to bring more attention. Sisters if you want to be more attractive take your Hijab off. That what happened with western culture. Long time ago women dressed simple and covered the body but after that came fashion and now most of them is undressed. Do you really want the same to happen to Muslim women. May Allah (SWT)protect as from this.Its not abt girls wanting more attention… its part of our struggles as Muslims to be accepted even with hijabs at every workplace, school, on the street, as mums of students, etc. we do need fashionable hijab for the world to see we are not suppressed and that we can have a life too. of course its our personal choice what we wear for what occasion – many of my designs I would not wear myself. but there are new Muslims, there are young girls, and a transformation to be a perfect hijabi does not come overnight, its not like u wear miniskirt and the next day u wear abaya, it needs to be step by step. and u r right abt fashion industry but fashion itself is not a product of the last century, it has always existed. and showing an alternative to the public that u can be fashionable and elegant yet u don’t have to show yr body is another way to invite ppl to our noble deen. may Allah accept it from us.