Leigh - uh yeah but they're not quite the same are they. If I go into a bakery and ask for a 'bread or loaf', they'll give me a bread or loaf, not a baguette.

Nitpicky I know, but you know. The point is there's tonnes of words we use that have 'foreign' origins. I don't know why its a problem to use them.

Interesting side note: I just read 'Jihad' actually translates to struggling or striving. Learn something every day...

One of the schools I used to know had a high proportion of Muslim kids. The simply made a plain white headscarf an optional part of the uniform, like choosing a long sleeve or short sleeve shirt. Seemed to fix the issue quite neatly.

R0bert:

First, there is a higher degree of emotional attachment to a religion than a culture and secondly, more tenuously, the potential for divine retribution. Reasonable measures should be taken to accommodate any emotional issue, ie. a rule that you don't put bacon in the office microwave, but pork products aren't banned from the premises.

Employment and standards has more to do with professional expectations, wearing a baseball cap/mohawk is less professional than a hijab. That said, laws aren't phrased towards unnecessary business discrimination, which would require a very high standard or else would be a very difficult solution and quite anti-liberty.

"Why should a religious activity get exemptions from taxes, rates etc and other activities not get exemptions?"
They shouldn't, most importantly the promotion of religion should not be considered a charitable purpose. That would ensure that money donated for charity actually went to those in need and anything going towards maintaining religious groups would have to be taxed. There is some benefit to giving all non-profit organisations some tax benefits, but the amount of exemption should also be related to the purposes of the group

I am in total agreement with Mr Irfan Yusuf, the writer of this article.

In a nation that calls itself free and champions diversity then to be having this discussion at all shows that Australia is definitely not tolerant of all diversities. In fact what we have here is complete intolerance of diversity. A demonstration that those who allege to champion diversity do not - hypocrites.

What those opposed to head scarves are indicating is that they believe in politically correct diversity but not politically incorrect diversity. The wonderful liberals demonstrate their ugly bigotry and closed minds, because they hate religious people of any persuasion.

I for one champion the right of anyone to wear a head scarf anywhere, anytime they want. Even me, if I felt like it, but I don't. But if I did, that's none of anyone else's damn business.

Go Irfan!

Banning the head scarf based on its rebellious connotations is just wrong. Rebellion is what teenagers do best - its why they smoke, get weird hair cuts, get ears, noses and other body parts pierced and go out with the guy with a motorbike and tattoos. Banning them just makes people do it more or find some other way to thumb their (pierced) nose at authority.

Why not simply have a scarf available in school colours which is acceptable for any one to wear. You could even have the school logo on it.

It may even catch on with non-Muslim students. I'm sure it keeps the head warm in winter and keeps the sun off in summer. and they look a damn sight better than those stupid flap hats my mum used to make me wear.

No real need for alarm.

t.u.s.

There are probably many reasons why these girls wear the hijabs. Examples:

1. They're used to it..as laurie mentioned. they feel comfortable with them than without
2. Their mothers wear it/ parental pressure
3. They feel a sense of belonging to their community/ peers of same religion
4. They feel proud of their religion and wish to advertise it.
5. They feel closer to their religion

I don't think the modesty bit is a big part of it for as we all know, you don't need to go that far in Australia to look modest, but in the eyes of their community it probably makes them look more modest/religious/respected and therefore more accepted.

There's a book available written by a melbourne ozzie mozzie titled "Does my head look big in this". The girl in this story decided to wear it because it made her feel like she belonged to a special club, that she felt closer to god. When she was out in public and saw other girls in hijabs, she felt like she belonged to something special.

I personally am not too fussed about the hijab, and I do think it's important that the girls get to mix with other non muslims at school, rather than be isoloted in Islamic only schools. If hijabs are banned, then thats where some girls will be forced to go.

Nevertheless I am interested to read the arguments for and against. I have 2 questions:

1. What should a principal do if a bunch of christian girls turned up to school in nuns outfits?

2. Would hijabs be an issue at all if it werent for terrorism?