Birgit Sauer - Conflicts over values: the issue of Moslem headscarves
Headscarves in the Head nes - Scholastic...
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6 Most kids don’t like their school uniform but some Muslim teenagers have to decide between their education and their religion. TEAM investigates. 49% of Musli m chil dr en t hi nk life for Musli m chil dr en i n Brit a i n has become mor e diffi cult si nce Sept embe r 11. 99% of Musli m chil dr en sa i d t he ir r e li gi on i s ve r y or quit e i mport ant . 39% of Musli m chil dr en t hi nk Musli m peopl e a r e shown i n t he news i n a bad way. 31% of Musli m chil dr en say t hey' ve been bulli ed and 43% say it was because of r ace / r e li gi on / col our / dr ess. Sur vey by CBBC Newsround Young , British and Muslim: The Stats Headscarves i n t he Head li nes * don ’t tell me w S h a b i n a f r o m L ondon UK March 2005: The British courts say that Muslims can wear religious clothes to school. Shabina is a good st udent but she was excl uded* from Denbi gh Hi gh School ne ar London. Why? Shabi na de c i ded t o wear a t radi t i ona l Musli m dre ss t ha t c overs a woman’s arms and l egs t o sc hool . The sc hool di dn’ t want her t o wear t he dre ss (c a ll ed a jil bab) f or hea l t h and s a f e t y reasons. Be si de s, t he sc hool a l ready had a uni f orm f or Musli m gi rl s – a sl eeve l e ss* dre ss wi t h t rousers and a headsc ar f. Shabi na t ook her sc hool t o c our t ! Shabi na won her t hree-year f i ght aga i nst t he sc hool . Out si de t he l aw c our t s, she s a i d, “Today’s de c i si on i s a vi c t ory f or a ll Musli ms who wi sh t o pre serve* t he i r i dent i t y and va l ue de spi t e pre j udi c e*. ” WHO WAS RIGHT? The school or Shabina? SHABINA How Musli ms dre ss depends* on where t hey c ome f rom and how re li gi ous t hey are. Some st ri c t Musli ms be li eve t ha t women over 13 must c over t he i r bodi e s apar t * f rom t he i r f a c e and hands. The j udge s a i d t ha t Denbi gh Hi gh Sc hool t ook away Shabi na’s ri ght t o show her re li gi on. THE SCHOOL A l most e i ght y per c ent of t he pupil s a t Shabi na’s sc hool are Musli m and t he sc hool a l ready had a spe c i a l uni f orm f or Musli m gi rl s. Onl y Shabi na was unhappy wi t h t he sc hool uni f orm. The pri nc i pa l want ed a ll hi s pupil s t o l ook t he s ame be c ause di ff erent c l ot he s c an crea t e t ensi ons* be t ween st udent s. What do you think? Shabi na was ri ght . The sc hool was ri ght .
Transcript of Headscarves in the Head nes - Scholastic...
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Most kids don’t like their school uniformbut some Muslim teenagers have todecide between their education andtheir religion. TEAM investigates.
49% of Muslim children think life for Muslim children in Britain hasbecome more difficult since September 11.
99% of Muslim children said their religion is very or quite important.
39% of Muslim children think Muslim people are shown in the newsin a bad way.
31% of Muslim children say they've been bullied and 43% say it was because of race / religion / colour / dress.
Survey by C BB C Newsround
Young, British and Muslim: The Stats
Headscarves in the Headlines*
don’t tell me w
Shabina
from London
UKMarch 2005: The British courts saythat Muslims can wear religiousclothes to school.
Shabina is a good student but she wasexcluded* from Denbigh High School nearLondon. Why?
Shabina decided to wear a traditional Muslimdress that covers a woman’s arms and legsto school. The school didn’t want her to wearthe dress (called a jilbab) for health andsafety reasons. Besides, the school alreadyhad a uniform for Muslim girls – asleeveless* dress with trousers and aheadscarf. Shabina took her school to court!
Shabina won her three-year fight against theschool. Outside the law courts, she said,“Today’s decision is a victory for all Muslimswho wish to preserve* their identity andvalue despite prejudice*.”
WHO WAS RIGHT?The school or Shabina?SHABINAHow Muslims dress depends* on where theycome from and how religious they are. Somestrict Muslims believe that women over 13must cover their bodies apart* from theirface and hands. The judge said that DenbighHigh School took away Shabina’s right toshow her religion.
THE SCHOOLA lmost eighty per cent of the pupils atShabina’s school are Muslim and the schoolalready had a special uniform for Muslimgirls. Only Shabina was unhappy with theschool uniform. The principal wanted all hispupils to look the same because differentclothes can create tensions* betweenstudents.
What do you think?
Shabina was right.
The school was right.
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! WORDWISE in the headlines (phrase) – the first and important lines of a news story • exclude (verb) – tell a pupil to leave a schoolpermanently • sleeveless (adjective) – without sleeves • preserve (verb) – keep • prejudice (noun) – opinion or like or dislike of somebody orsomething that is not made because of experience or reason • depend on (verb) – be decided by • apart from (preposition) – except for •tension (noun) – condition when feelings aren’t relaxed or relations between people, groups etc are difficult • to be banned (verb) – to be illegal,to be stopped • shave (off) (verb) – cut hair off with a razor • option (noun) – choice • preach (verb) – try to persuade people to supportsomething (often religious) • flared (adjective) – wider at the bottom • braided (adjective) – braided hair is twisted together to make plaits.
You’re the judgeMuslims aren’t the only pupils who haveproblems with school uniforms. Discussthese situations with your friends.
In June 2004, a Suffolk secondary school banned skirtsfor girls because some girls wore very short mini-skirts.Was the school right? Yes No
The headteacher of a school near Oxford banned flared*trousers. He thinks that flared trousers are not safe andstudents will fall over in corridors and on stairs.Is the headteacher right? Yes No
Olivia Acton (13) was excluded from her school because herhair was braided*. Olivia is white and she was upset becausethe school told two Afro-Caribbean pupils that their braidswere OK because they wore them to show their culture.Was the school right? Yes No
Speaking
WHO IS RIGHT?Should religious clothes and signs beallowed in schools?
YES NO
SPECIAL REPORT
what to wear!Ce
nnet
from St
rasbo
urg
Past simple
FranceSeptember 2004: Muslim headscarvesand other religious symbols are banned*in schools.
Cennet from Strasbourg in France shaved* off all her hair. Why?
When the French Government banned Muslimheadscarves in schools, 15-year-old Cennet worea hat to school. However, her school principaldidn’t like it. When Cennet refused to take it off,the principal sent her to an empty room.“I wanted to go to school, but I wanted to obeymy religion, too. A ll I knew was that decision wasdifficult but my only option*. On September 5th, I shaved my entire head. I was bald!”
WHO’S RIGHT?Cennet or the French Government?CENNETFor many Muslims, their religion is a large part of who they are. They’re not trying to say thattheir religion is better than any other. They’re just trying to be themselves.
THE FRENCH GOVERNMENTFrench law says that there must be a completeseparation between church and state. Theybelieve this is a good idea as it stops preaching*in schools and it also stops religious tensions.
What do you think?Cennet is right. The French Government is right.
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