{"id":289,"date":"2013-09-11T13:50:38","date_gmt":"2013-09-11T13:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/?p=289"},"modified":"2013-09-11T13:50:38","modified_gmt":"2013-09-11T13:50:38","slug":"face-covering-veils-banned-at-uk-college-sparks-anger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/index.php\/face-covering-veils-banned-at-uk-college-sparks-anger\/","title":{"rendered":"Face-covering veils banned at UK college, sparks anger"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Face-covering<\/a>Students at a college in Birmingham, UK, have been banned from wearing face-covering veils, after the head-teacher ruled pupil\u2019s faces must be visible at all times for security reasons, reported the Huffington Post UK on Wednesday.
\nBirmingham Metropolitan College has told its Muslim students they are not allowed to wear niqabs, a veil which covers everything but the eyes, so they are \u201ceasily identifiable at all times.\u201d
\nStudents at the school, which is home to around 9,000 teenage students, have branded the ban as \u201cdisgusting,\u201d reported the Birmingham Mail.
\nOne 17-year-old said: \u201cIt is a personal choice and I find it absolutely shocking that this has been brought in at a college in Birmingham city centre when the city is so multicultural and so many of the students are Muslim.
\n\u201cIt upsets me that we are being discriminated against.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t think my niqab prevents me from studying or communicating with anyone – I\u2019ve never had any problems in the city before.\u201d
\nKhalid Mahmood, an MP in Birmingham, told The Huffington Post UK he found the ban \u201cdifficult to believe.\u201d
\n\u201cI am seriously concerned that the college has taken this approach,” he said. “If there is an issue of security in identifying students for exams then there are other procedures for this. We do not have a legal ban like France so I don’t know why the college would want to do this.
\n\u201cI see no reason why young women should not be able to practice their faith and wear what is appropriate for their religion,\u201d Mahmood added. \u201cIt is about freedom to protect your rights.
\n\u201cThe college should demonstrate and encourage respect of belief, colour and background. [The decision] is not an example to set to students.\u201d
\nThe college\u2019s principal and chief executive, Dame Christine Braddock, said the policy was authorized to safeguard students.
\n\u201cWe have a very robust Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy at Birmingham Metropolitan College but we are committed to ensuring that students are provided with a safe and welcoming learning environment whilst studying with us.
\n\u201cTo ensure that safeguarding is a priority, we have developed our policy alongside student views to ensure we keep them safe.
\n\u201cThis needs individuals to be easily identifiable at all times when they are on college premises and this includes the removal of hoodies, hats, caps and veils so that faces are visible.
\n\u201cAll prospective and progressing students, as well as staff, have been advised of the policy, which will mean everyone allowed on the premises can understand and know each other in a safe environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

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