INNOCENTS IN CROSSFIRE
A BENOWA P&C president’s call for a ban on young girls wearing the hijab to school will cause a storm well beyond the front gates of her local school.
The principal has warned Brooke Patterson she cannot use a political position to canvass community opinion on the issue, which is going to add fuel to the fire she has lit already by having the LNP Queensland convention back her call for a school ban on headscarves for girls under 10.
Women and girls who wear the hijab are doing nothing more than abiding by the tenets of their faith.
Many Gold Coasters might find shaved heads or outrageous hair styles intimidating, or are offended or threatened by tattoos, but they tolerate such body art and fashions regardless. These are part of society’s rich tapestry.
Of major concern though is the behaviour of aggressive drunks or racists on trams and trains, for example, or bikies who have thundered along with death’s head masks hiding their identity. These actions are hugely offensive, yet by and large they get away with it.
Why should this happen, yet families wanting to observe religious beliefs are made to feel different? What is concerning is that this argument is blowing up within the benign boundaries of a state school, which should be a sanctuary instead of a place where a group of kids could end up feeling very uncomfortable.
We live in uncertain times and, it could be argued, the world is experiencing a clash of civilisations. The actions of terror groups have shocked our nation, prompting the Government to introduce tough measures including drafting the SAS to take over from police if terrorists cause mayhem.
But the actions of terrorists should not be extended to innocent families in our communities, who are just as sickened and appalled as the rest of us. Not for the first time Australia, with its intake of migrants and asylum seekers, seeks to find balance amid so much uncertainty.
The ones caught at the centre of all the angst are children, for heaven’s sake. Take away the “hijab’’ description and what they are left wearing is just a scarf. For a nation that claims it was built on tolerance and egalitarianism, we seem to have a big problem understanding individual freedoms.