School asking daughter to remove small cross despite religious symbols policy

[FanFckingTastic]

I'm looking for some advice and thoughts!

DD is 15 and at secondary school. She has always worn a small silver cross - at primary school this was never an issue (it was a church school) Up until this point it's not been an issue at secondary school either. The cross is very small and is tucked into her shirt so you would have to be really looking for it in order to see it. She always removes it for PE etc.

Last Monday her head of year saw the cross and asked her to remove it. My daughter replied that it was her cross, and that she didn't want to. She was then approached and asked to remove it every day for the remainder of the week, with increasing threats of sanctions if she didn't comply with the schools 'no jewelry' rule. My daughter kept reiterating that this was her cross, and asked the teacher to speak with me. Finally on Friday I received an email to tell me that my daughter needed to take her cross off.

I completely understand the new jewelry rule but wonder how this sits alongside the responsibility that the school has under the equalities act 2010. In their uniform policy it states that it will 'allow pupils to wear headscarves and other religious or cultural symbols' I would interpret this to include a cross too?

My daughter wears her cross as a sign of her faith and really wants to continue to do this.

Has anyone come across this situation before? If so, what was the solution?

@GenialHarrietGrouty Some schools ask that studs are removed for pe. However they are not normally yanked as a necklace can be.

Most schools do reach a compromise for head covering and jewellery and are not in court every day of the week so, in general, policies are lawful. Schools have a lot of advice on these topics. Likewise the DD here needs to compromise.

Awrat are cultural, not religious rules
The Fiqh are books of jurisprudence not religion

Your ignorance on this is possible due to deliberate conflation of the two by people with a cultural agenda

I can only assume you have a real dislike of Islam. What do you mean that awrah is cultural, not religious? Dont be ridiculous. Fiqh is literally Islamic rulings.
Stop trying to confuse people. I don’t know what your worldviews are but it feels like you are attempting some sort of mansplaining here. You will never convince a mainstream Muslim that hijab is not obligatory. You may convince some non Muslims here that it is the case. You clearly have an agenda.

It’s besides the point arguing about head coverings for girls as most uniforms accommodate them. They are not a H&S issue.

@FanFckingTastic what was the outcome when you approached the school?

> You will never convince a mainstream Muslim that hijab is not obligatory
I don't need to
Non-muslims know it is no more a religious requirement than making your wife walk ten paces behind you

And obviously, like any modern, educated man, I have a real dislike of a misogynistic, sexist, antisemitic, homophobic religion

Quote : " I have a real dislike of a misogynistic, sexist, antisemitic, homophobic religion"

Yup. That covers Christianity. Although the antisemitic stuff does depend on how some books of the NT are interpreted.

Thanks for mansplaining it all to me smowmichael. Any religion could be explained that way if you wish to twist things though. For a modern educated man you really do seem to misunderstand things though. Muslims really do believe that hijab is compulsory. Muslims are aware that many muslims will not understand this or know why they wear it. Muslims know that some non Muslims will stereotype them. That’s ok. Non Muslims are free to THINK hijab is cultural. Think what you like. But accept that they have a belief even if you disagree with it. Dont try to mansplain it. That’s just embarrassing. PS, just to confirm, it also isnt part of Islam to walk ten steps behind a man. That’s a stereotype too. But you know that anyway as a modern day man though, right? Or perhaps you really are just a misogynist man yourself?

Should have typed ‘many non muslims will not understand why they wear it.’

we’ll never know. I don’t even think that it was a genuine situation. OP seemed to have wanted to plant a seed of division and outrage right before local elections were held. How curios.

Yes. Very much looks like the standard xenophobic dog whistle.

> . Muslims really do believe that hijab is compulsory
At last you grasp the point
It's a belief, nothing more
That's cultural

I agree that some Christians can be just as bad

You really are insufferable snowmichael.
I assume then that you see all religious rules and guidelines as cultural? Actually, no need to answer that. You are very tunnel vision.

Lets see what the book says:

For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

Women should cover their head.

My daughters friend is muslim, her parents have told her she can wear it if she wants to (she doesn't currently). She has to cover up her arms and legs though. Her mum doesn't wear a hijab either. I assumed from this that is a choice but most choose to wear it. There must be different interpretations of the doctrine. I'm Catholic not muslim so have no idea of the obligation of it so it's interesting to hear your thoughts. Years ago most Catholics would have worn headscarves in Mass but now most of the congregation don't because canon law changed, it was decided that wearing a headscarve had no relevance to your faithfulness to god.

Thanks, interesting to hear your take on your friend and her daughter. Why not ask her why she (the mum) doesn’t wear it? And if she believes it should be worn? Lots of muslim women often dont wear it simply because they dont feel ready, for vanity or because they think they will be targeted by non Muslims.