U.S. to defend Muslim girl wearing scarf in school

CNN Washington Bureau ^ | 03/30/04 | Terry Frieden

[coffeebreak]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department announced Tuesday the government's civil rights lawyers have jumped into a legal case to support a Muslim girl's right to wear a head scarf in a public school.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Alex Acosta said government lawyers would support 11-year-old Nashala Hearn, a sixth-grade student who has sued the Muskogee, Oklahoma, Public School District for ordering her to remove her head scarf, or hijab, because it violated the dress code of the Benjamin Franklin Science Academy, which she attended.

The girl continued to wear her hijab to school and was subsequently suspended twice for doing so. The family appealed the suspensions, which were upheld by a district administrative hearing committee.

Her parents filed suit against the Muskogee School District last October.

On Tuesday the federal government filed a motion in a federal court in Muskogee to intervene in support of Nashala's position.

[Fedora]

You'll probably blow a gasket to learn that Rastafarian dreadlocks are protected as expressions of the Rastafarian religious faith. Animal sacrifices are protected as expressions of the Santeria religious faith. Smoking peyote is protected as expression of Native American religious faith.

Yah, mon! In my church we also get tax deductions on Bob Marley albums, which is sacred music, mon! But we don't need no peyote, 'cause we got the ganga--not to mention the funkiest minister on the planet:

How's the gasket doing?

Let me check here--uh-oh, looks bad:

But no worries!--I'll just put on my Happy Helmet:

Joy! :)

Oh, well, my guess is that your gasket is a little bit too tight, anyway. ;^)

Nyah [munch, munch, munch]. . .she don't know me vewy well, do she? :)

[William Martel]

Everything they know about life they learned from comic books.

To be fair, that's not so bad. I learned everything I know zbout life from fortune cookies and the endings of "G.I. Joe"... ;)

[Centurion2000]

crap I am so sick of this pro-anti-Protestant stuff. The crosses of these Catholics ought to be viewed the same way we view pentagrams or female mutilation. If they want to wear that crap, do it back in their own damned country.

-The KKK, circa 1910.

Show me the latest Christian suicide bombers .... next time exercise some intelligence before you post.

Muslims are earning their hatred every day around the world.

[Fedora]

To be fair, that's not so bad. I learned everything I know zbout life from fortune cookies and the endings of "G.I. Joe"... ;)

[Centurion2000]

THe dress code is repugnant to the Constituiton, specifically the 1st Amend. prohibition against infringement of religious practice. That amend. was incoporated by the SCOTUS to apply to the States and their political subdivisions.

If they can do it for the 1st, they damn well ought to do it for the 2nd.

[FITZ]

Do you have reason to believe they aren't U.S. citizens?

Because burkas have no place in American culture --- they have nothing to do with the USA.

[FITZ]

I just think we have better things to do than demand an 11-year-old girl take off a stupid little headscarf.

And if she wore a swastika instead? Should we allow other forms of Nazis to wear their uniforms in our schools?

[FITZ]

Wait until they want four wives.

Four WIVES but also an unlimited number of concubines and sex slaves. Slavery is perfectly acceptable in Islam, it's an integral part of their culture ---- so we'd have to allow them to buy slaves here if we're going to overdo the respect for their culture.

If the KKK can't show up at schools in white sheets, or the satanists in their black robes then the radical Islamics should leave their garb at home too --- or better go back home.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

But will the government uphold the phrase"UNDER GOD" in the pledge of alligence?

[katz]

Right! Keep your headscarf in the country you fled. Why the h*ll did you come to the land of the free....to impose your religion on America? Get the illegals out of our country. Hate America? Stay out.

[JohnBDay]

Banning religious headwear is too French for this country.

[katz]

Yes. Give them enough rope and they will strangle you. Do not let our representatives allow non citizens to be president of our USA. Twenty years is all they need to bring down this country.

[FITZ]

Turkey is mostly Muslim --- and they don't wear the headgear, it isn't required by the religion. I know --- I've worked with -- Muslims and they did not wear the headgear, nor any kind of burkas while in the USA --- they were forced to wear them when going back for visits to Iran --- not because they weren't Muslims without the headgear in the USA --- but because the radicals demand they be worn. The burka is part of radical Islam --- not moderate Islam.

[FITZ]

And after we get the Ha-jib wearers, Let's get the AMISH!!

When they declare a jihad against the USA, and still continue to cram their religious-fascist-political symbols down our throats --- then yes. Islam is far from being some benign religion that doesn't believe the entire world will be placed under Sharia law. Islamics are the worst kind of fascists there are.

Plus it's not likely the other Amish would shoot that little girl in the head if she fails to wear the bonnet --- which we know the Islamics would do.

[FITZ]

It is her religion and her exercise thereof is protected by the US Constitution.

Except that her religion demands the overthrow of the US Constitution and the placing of Sharia law over this land and so isn't protected. Islamics by definition cannot believe in the Constitution because it isn't the Koran and the Koran specifically states the whole world must follow Sharia law.

[YoSoy2]

"You're going to kick people that were born in this country out because of their religion?"

I don't think that's a good solution. Better not to allow them to come in in the first place, then there is no need to kick them out.

[YoSoy2]

"My brother had a truck with a bumper sticker that read, "I'm proud of the way America used to be". The more time goes by, the truer that saying is."

Third World immigration has consequences, you know.

[YoSoy2]

"we have met the enemy and it is us."

Yep, Pogo was right.

Hopefully the American people will read the writing on the wall and wake up in time.

The water is getting warmer and warmer. Will the poor frog jump out in time? I hope so. I pray so. If not, we can kiss our culture, our way of life and our childrens' future goodbye.

[William Martel]

LOL... now THAT warms my heart!

[William Martel]

Sorry. Much as I wish I could agree, I can't quite see the equation of a 11 year old girl covering her head according to a tradition that is meant to protect modesty with wearing a symbol with systematic genocide. I also fail to see how taking such a stance makes us any better than they are. I was under the impression that we're the good guys and that we follow the higher standard.