Muslim campaign group calls for end to East Ham school’s hijab ban for under eights

From the local newspaper the Newham Recorder

A Muslim campaign group has demanded an East Ham primary school’s ban on hijabs “should be withdrawn immedately”.The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK) has criticised the decision by St Stephen’s, in Whitfield Road, to not allow girls under the age of eight to wear the head covering.

Imran Shah, a spokesman for MPACUK, said that he felt the motivation for the ban was “because they fundamentally believe the hijab is at odds with being British and that they think it is a sign of increasing Islamisation”. He added: “Even without the hijab ban and without stopping kids from fasting in Ramadan, St Stephen’s topped the schools league. Clearly they aren’t hindering kids from achieving…Schools have an obligation to ensure their uniform is does not cause a barrier between them and the community. They have done just that and their policy should be withdrawn immediately.”

Shah’s comments come after a petition calling for the hijab ban to be withdrawn was set up three days ago. So far, it has attracted more than 13,500 signatures.

That the unsavoury organisation MPACUK supports the covering of little girls several years before the likely onset of puberty (let alone legal adulthood and the age of consent) says a great deal about them, and the kind of men who frequent it. The kind of men who see little girls as sexual objects who must cover their hair lest men like them be inflamed to sexual desire. Nasty pieces of work to be sure. I hope the head teacher Neela Lall and her governors don’t give in.