Here is an interesting article that seems to weigh the issue of religious practice versus the distraction it may cause.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070320/ap_on_re_eu/britain_veils

I honestly don't know how i feel about the whole subject because i am all for religious freedom but what if it really does cause distraction? It is a catch 22.

Yes, this is an interesting article, because it points to a number of problems that society is going to be facing in the context of religious fudamentalism and secular institutions.

The face veils that are required by religious doctrine should probably not be challanged by the school administrators unless they can convincingly develop a reason for banning them. Based on this article, the case has not been made. It would seem to me that the potential ban stems more from a subtle prejudice against Muslims than it does from a legitimate safety concern. Take for example this quote from the article:

"The guidelines did not specify what the safety concerns might be. The Sun newspaper, citing an unnamed ministry official, said there were concerns that full face veils might make it difficult to identify students and that Bunsen burners could set fire to the garment in science classes."

These are safety concerns that are associated with any type of clothing in schools, not face veils in particular, therefore there is hardly any reason to warrant singling out this specific religious practice. This is a can of combustible worms that probably should not be opened!

After reading that article it sounds to me like the banning of muslim veils isn't really supported by their safety concerns. Any type of clothing can catch on fire, so can hair. I agree with Robby, I don't think any good will come from this ban. If anything this ban will only single out the Muslim population even more than they have been within the past couple years.

I know that it seems like a catch22 that banning veils is against religious freedom but at the same time it is distracting, but have we ever thought about the fact that in college you are allowed to wear whatever you choose? I understand that dress codes are set because certain people will always go to the extremes, but in terms of headgear, have you ever been distracted by the boy next to you in a baseball cap? And if the same girl came into school everyday wearing a veil, would it be a distraction after a week? I'm just not sure that among the bigger issues that are to be faced that if veils are of utmost importance and I think it is silly for a school to make such a big deal about it.

The school should not be concerned about who the person is. Most schools now are having the students wear IDs around the neck to make sure that no one is a intruder or whatever. I think it's horrible that they are banning they can't come up with any concerns except for a science class.