Hundreds of girls are bring forced by British schools to wear the Islamic veil in a move, which has been heavily criticised by mainstream Muslims
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| Unfriendly: Schools forcing students to wear burkhas could affect relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. File pic |
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Islamic schools have introduced uniform policies which force girls to wear the full headscarf and veil. Moderate followers of Islam said yesterday that enforcement of the veil was a "dangerous precedent" and that children attending such schools were being "brainwashed".u00a0
All three schools are independent, fee-paying, single-sex schools for girls aged 11 to 18. Critics warned that the spectacle of burkha-clad pupils entering and leaving the schools at the start and end of the day could damage relations between Muslim and non-Muslim communities. Ed Husain, co-director of Quilliam, the counter-extremist think-tank, said, "It is absurd that schools are enforcing this outdated ritual -- one that sends out a damaging message that Muslims do not want to fully partake in British society.
"Although it is not the government's job to dictate how its citizens dress, it should nonetheless ensure that such schools are not bankrolled or subsidised by the British taxpayer."
Dr Taj Hargey, an imam and chairman of the Muslim Educational Trust of Oxford, said, "This is very disturbing and sets a dangerous precedent. It means that Muslim children are being brainwashed into thinking they must segregate and separate themselves from mainstream society.
None of the schools responded to questions posed by The Sunday Telegraph.
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