Adelaide school warns even non-Muslim teachers to wear hijab or face sack

Furious debate has erupted, with many people raged over what they called was double standards in the school's stance, claiming the ruling is religious discrimination.

According to telegraph.com.au, there have also been repeated calls for an end to any government funding to the school.

Up to 20 non-Muslim female teachers, who do not wish to be named, have been told they will be sacked from the Islamic College of South Australia's West Croydon campus after three warnings if they do not wear a headscarf to cover their hair, the report said.

If a female Muslim teacher working at a non-Muslim school was ordered to stop wearing her hijab at school functions and outings then that school board and principal would be before the Anti-Discrimination Commission before you could say 'hypocrisy', wrote 'Sir Loin of Lamb'.

Many readers asked whether it was appropriate for non-Muslims to wear the religious garb.

According to the report, Concerned Citizen of Aberfoyle Park wrote that the warning was blatant discrimination against a non-Muslim's beliefs to force them to wear an Islamic religious garment.

JaneAd of Adelaide said that 'the hijab is a highly visible outward sign of one's faith. What is the point of forcing non-Muslims to wear it?

Mike of Australia of Brisbane added that 'the wearing of scarves in Muslim countries differs from country to country. There is no standard. Why should the teachers be made to wear a scarf if they are not Muslim?'

Others argued that the school had the right to set its own dress rules.

According to the report, many pointed out that church-run institutions often had rules based on religious values and said strict rules were not unique to Muslim schools.

Earlier it was reported that the order, from the school''s governing board and chairman Faruk Kahn, contradicts the policy of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.

Australian Federation of Islamic Council assistant secretary Keysar Trad said the policy was at odds with the national federation, but it was powerless to intervene.

One long-term teacher at the Islamic College of SA said a new school board was now 'forcing teachers to put hijabs back on', the report added.

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