10 August 2013

Religion does not trump our nation's laws

.... it is hard not to regard the religiously-mandated wearing of any of this gear as medieval nonsense which is all about the oppression of women. It also reflects the absurd view - best evidenced by Sydney Muslim cleric Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly's reference to women without scarves as "uncovered meat" - that men cannot be expected to control their urges if women do not remain covered up.

But if countries such as Australia are not going to ban the wearing of this garb, surely we are not going to allow a situation where Islamic organisations here can insist that other people should wear it?

From what has been reported, that is the situation at one of Australia's biggest Islamic schools - the Islamic College of South Australia - where the dress code requires that all female teachers must wear head scarves. One teacher has taken court action for unfair dismissal over her failure to abide by the rule. [SUNDAY HERALD SUN] Read more