Hijab ban by school plain discrimination

THE EDITOR: The political correctness has really taken homo sapiens to new levels whereby truth is now to be shunned, obfuscated or is simply no longer needed.

The recent issue involving the hijab worn by a young OJT teacher at a Hindu school – supported with state funds – has caused a perplexing ruckus.

It was dishonest of the school’s administrators to order the young woman to leave the premises. It was then and is now discrimination.

To use the cover of school “rules” as the reason that “religious symbols” cannot be worn on the school’s premises only bolsters that institution’s discriminatory practices. School rules are not superior to the country’s Constitution.

Fortunately, no Rastafarian child has been placed in that school after the SEA results. Had this happened would such a child have to shave off her dreadlocks? Not be allowed to cover it with her ice-green or gold headtie either?

The Ministry of Education ought to start making it a requirement to have picture IDs for all successful students before school placement after SEA results are published – no matter what.

The school officially did state that the name of the trainee teacher was not Islamic, so they got caught out. Ah well.

It gets even better, this political correctness thing. One person wrote about rules, religious beliefs, Rastas and ganja. Now ganja may be part of Rastafarian religious theology, but it is also illegal in this secular place. TT is not a “Rasta-theocracy.” Now where is the hijab illegal here?

The writer perhaps was confusing rules and constitution/laws. Again the political correctness thing. Ah well.

Then again I seem to recall an issue with children going to school with canerow/cornrow hairstyles – a beautiful African hairstyle – being sent back home. Why were they sent home? The hairstyle was unacceptable? Now since when were canerows a religious symbol? Against the school rules say say? Ah well, okay.

Let’s all stand for truth, no matter who says it – to corrupt Malcolm X’s words.

T CLAY SUCRE, Talparo