I cannot believe some of you people, how can you sit there and so openly admit to being xenophobic. If anything, we need more immigration, more mixing of cultures!

How can people sit around purporting to be proponents of free trade then turn around and take pride in their restrictions on the global trade of employment? I would not care if Australia had a 40% Muslim population, a 30% Asian population and a 10% seek population. For so long as we maintain our solid constitution (perhaps with the inclusion of a bill of rights) we have nothing to fear.

I spoke to a friend who just came back from America recently; he complained about how American media does not report much of the outside world. I replied to him "Perhaps, I am in really in no position to judge that as I have not been to America. However, the Australia you say has a much wider exposure to the world through our media still maintains xenophobia much closer to the mainstream of thought than America." Some of the people who have posted here have proven my point.

I enjoyed your article Leslie but I completely disagree with your conclusions. Muslim schoolgirls have been covering up for many years in Australia. Everyone seemed to cope with it until the French made such a big scene about it.

Maybe, if we can’t design a uniform for everybody, we should let everybody design their own. Scrap the uniform; it’s no big deal.

Waleed Aly wife Susan Carland, the Australian Muslim of the Year; says, “ the importance of the headscarf is greatly exaggerated, but "Islam touches every aspect of your life. To me, it's a tangible reminder of being close to God." She says it also makes Muslim women flag-bearers, or ambassadors, for Islam.”

This would indicate that at least in Susan’s view their wearing of the headscarf has political connotations of claiming territory. That is what flag bearers are doing symbolically, making a statement; I am conquering this territory as my space

If Muslims in the state school are allowed to wear the Hijab and forego the school uniform,then we must eliminate the secular school uniform since one group can usurp the rules.Perhaps we need special Muslim State Schools where they can please themselves.

What if the Nazis or Klu Kux Clan feel they have a religious affinity with their belief system,can they then wear swaz stickers or the Hoods of the clan to school to express their belief systems?

Many people also find the Hijab intimidating and even threatening.Where do we draw the line?

My point is we don't have to wear our religious beliefs on our sleeves or heads.Religion should be like sex,i.e done in private between consenting adults.

While I generally support the right of people to express themselves however they like, in this case I think Cannold has a point. As a symbol, the hijab head scarf has become a focus for intolerance by 'Christians' and racists, and for radicalism and internalised misogyny among Muslims. As such it has no place in our state schools, which ought to be avowedly secular and egalitarian, unlike their private counterparts.

As I understand it, 'hijab' in Islam refers to a general code of modest dress for both women and men. In many Western societies, women interpret this is dressing modestly, according to the social context - e.g. wearing a business suit or school uniform. The wearing of the headscarf is a relatively recent elaboration on the 'hijab' principle, and is as much a statement of identity as it is conformity to Islam. As such, the wearing of the hijab head scarf is a political act that has no place in our schools when it becomes the focus of religious, political or racist conflict.

Of course, since one of our key values is egalitarianism, the proscription of religious symbolism in schoolkids' apparel should be applied universally in our public schools. As in France, this would apply equally to the Muslim hijab, the Christian cross, the Jewish yarmulke etc etc.

However, I disagree with Cannold about the observance of religious holidays in public schools. The only holidays that should be observed other than recreational vacations, should be those proclaimed by the State. And of course, if we're going to get rid of divisive religious symbolism in our schools, then it has to be bye bye to Christmas carols, nativity scenes and the like.

Those who want to ban the hijab on secular grounds can't have it both ways, else they provide the Muslim minority with valid grounds for aggrievement on the basis of discrimination.

DLC, use your powers of ratiocination. Any free trade we have is not with a muslim country so what does that say about your trade of employment? Also with a 40% muslim population our constitution won't look like it does now.

The following industries will be forced to close if the muslim demographic grows to the proportion you suggest: gambling industry; club industry; hotel industry; lesbian and homosexual industry; cruise ship industry; pig products industry; sex workers industry; fashion industry and a number of others. Some industries that will be forced to modify will be: book publishing industry; slaughterhouses; film & TV industries; state and private schools; Australian Olympic Committee; and many others.

Groups with adscititious codes of behaviour which are anhedonic in nature are not creative nor are they hardly likely to be tolerant of, or give their imprimatur to, an industry which churns out a TV program such as Rove Live.

DLC, you don't present any credentials which might establish you as a maven. And as if to underscore your own shortcomings, you too have proven that you are an ultracrepidarian critic. To highlight that statement, the gambling industry pays AUD$3.717 billion in taxes and levies (ABS 1997-1998) and in NSW 1512 clubs employ 65,000 people directly and 250,000 indirectly (30th June 1998). Where will your 'new look' Australia find that $3.717 billion and which industry will employ the displaced 315,000 people? Perhaps the Qur'an printing industry?