Muslim parents threatened with court... because girl’s skirt is too long for school
A MUSLIM schoolgirl’s parents have been threatened with court action for refusing to send her to school in a skirt too short for their religious beliefs.
Siham Hamud, 12, has been wearing an ankle-length skirt for years but last month teachers said it didn’t comply with the school’s dress code.
Her father Idris Hamud, 55, said Siham was sent home from school every day in December and told to come back wearing the correct uniform but refused.
Uxbridge High School said girls should wear black trousers or a black pleated skirt from official uniform suppliers – which the family said falls above the knee.
The father of eight said both uniform choices contravene their strict religious beliefs. The school in west London has now threatened to take Idris and his wife Salma Yusuf, 44, to court over Siham’s alleged unauthorised absences.
Siham, who is currently studying from home due to the lockdown, said: ‘It feels like bullying because of what I believe... I feel confused and annoyed that I can’t wear what I want for my religion. I hope they’ll change their rules so that girls like me wear skirts to school.’
Mr Hamud, an athletics coach, said: ‘My daughter is being denied an education because of her religious beliefs.
‘All Siham wants to do is to wear a skirt which is a few centimetres longer than her classmates – and I don’t know why the school has such a problem with this. The school is threatening to take legal action against me, but I’m not forcing her to wear a longer skirt – it’s her faith and her decision to make.’ He added: ‘She used to love school, but now she goes to school crying because of this – it’s heartbreaking.’
The family said they only recently discovered a uniform rule that was introduced two years ago, stating shorter school-branded skirts had to be worn.
Siham continued wearing her longer skirt, unaware she was breaking any rules, until she was pulled up on December 1.
She was sent home to change but didn’t return to school. The same thing happened each day for the three weeks of term in December, her family said.
Her older sisters Sumayyah, 19, and Ilham, 17, had both previously worn the longer skirts to school without issue. The family follow a traditional branch of Islam, requiring women to only wear long skirts.
The school sent Siham’s parents a letter on December 9 which threatened legal action over their daughter’s alleged unauthorised absences. It said: ‘ Siham’s absence is being recorded as unauthorised. Unauthorised absence may result in a fine being issued, or legal action being taken.’
Mr Hamud said he expects the issue to return once face - to - face teaching resumes. It is due to be discussed on a complaints panel with the school governors later this month.
Nigel Clemens, the school’s headmaster, said: ‘This matter is currently subject to examination through the formal school complaints policy. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment further at this time.’
‘Confused and annoyed’