Anger over headscarf permit

THE South African Muslim Network says the controversy surrounding the carrying of a card permitting the wearing of a headscarf at a Johannesburg school shows Muslim students are not welcome there.

A widely circulated Facebook post this week, where a mother complained her daughter had to carry the card as a requirement set by Northcliff High School, caused a storm online, with many comparing it to the carrying of a “dom pass”.

Attempts to get a hold of the family were unsuccessful.

On Monday night the school released a statement via its Facebook page, where it said the passes were granted to “ensure that the child is not reprimanded for uniform infringement”.

It said parents had to make requests for pupils to wear head scarves, grow beards, wear informal shoes or for medical reasons.

Dr Faisal Suliman, chairperson of SAMNET, said as per the constitution, the pupil should be entitled to wear the headscarf.

“What the dom pass says to the student and to the community is that Muslims are not welcome and that they are being tolerated and are made exceptions of, instead of being recognised as an integral part of not just the South African society but also the school community.”

He was surprised the school would take this decision in this day and age.

“School demographics are changing, and it seems like they (the school) are not wise to that. This dom pass is retrogressive in building a rainbow nation,” he said.

“If the school doesn’t change and frankly apologise publicly, it deserves to be sued.”

He said the controversy could compromise the psychological welfare of affected pupils.

“This is not conducive to learning, the relationship between the school and parents as well as educating a child.

“We need to teach Muslim children and those of other faiths to learn tolerance, acceptance and to respect other faiths and beliefs, but this teaches the exact opposite.”

Suliman said the headscarf represented modesty, especially in the face of today’s consumerist society which is “obsessed with fashion and make-up”.