UK: Schoolgirl goes to court over chastity ring (while Muslim students can wear bracelets)

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | April 28, 2007 | Jonathan Petre and

[Stoat]

Schoolgirl goes to court over chastity ring

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent, and Hazel Southam
 

Last Updated: 3:52am BST 28/04/2007

 

 

• A teenage girl banned from wearing a Christian chastity ring at school is taking her case to the High Court.

  Lydia Playfoot wanted to wear a silver ring that showed her commitment to remain a virgin until marriage. But her school refused permission on health and safety grounds and because the ring infringed its jewellery policy.

  The dispute echoes last year's row over whether a British Airways employee could wear a cross and that of Shabina Begum, a Muslim excluded from her school in Luton for wearing a jilbab in defiance of school rules. She took the school to the High Court but lost her case.

  	Lydia Playfoot has messages of support from over 30 bishops and 15 politicians in her fight to wear the chastity ring

  Miss Playfoot, 16, from Horsham, West Sussex, has an impressive array of politicians and Church leaders backing her claims that Millais School, a non-denominational religious secondary school for girls in Horsham, has breached Article 9 of the Human Rights Act, which protects a person's right to practise their religion or beliefs.

  She is revising for 11 GCSEs while she waits to hear when her High Court judicial review case will be held. The £20,000 needed for the hearing has been largely raised from friends and individual donors.

  Although the school allows Muslim and Sikh pupils to wear headscarves, trousers and kara bracelets as a cultural expression of their religion, the chastity ring - a small band engraved with a biblical verse, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 - is not allowed because it is considered to be jewellery. The school also forbids the wearing of crosses and crucifixes.

  "I felt as if I was being picked on because I was a Christian," said Miss Playfoot. "People were around me from other faiths and they could wear trousers and bracelets and headscarves. There was no issue. It made me feel a bit upset."

  Miss Playfoot chose to wear the ring after an event held two years ago by an American Christian movement, The Silver Ring Thing, which promotes abstinence before marriage and has encouraged a growing number of adolescents to make "a pledge of chastity".

  The ring refers to the Biblical quote: "God wants you to be holy and completely free from sexual immorality. Each of you men should know how to live with his wife in a holy and honourable way".

  Initially it did not cause a stir at the school. But after a dozen other girls started wearing the rings Miss Playfoot was asked to remove hers on the grounds that it broke the school's no-jewellery policy and it could injure someone if she fell and used her hand to steady herself.

  When she refused she was placed "in isolation", missing classes and studying on her own. "I was surprised because the people who get put in isolation are caught smoking and are really rude and outrageous," she said. "I thought, why am I here? I didn't feel as if I'd done anything wrong."

  Her family claims that the school suggested she could attach the ring to her school bag, but if that was not acceptable she might have to look for a school that would allow her to wear it.

  Although Miss Playfoot has not worn the ring in classes since last April, she decided to take the school to the High Court "because I didn't want them to think that they had won. You can't treat Christians like this".

  Her father, Phil, 49, a minister in the non-denominational evangelical King's Church in Horsham, and her mother Heather, 47, said they felt "very disappointed" over the school ruling.

  So far Miss Playfoot has received messages of support from more than 30 bishops and 15 politicians, including Lord Tebbit, the former Tory party chairman, David Willetts, the shadow secretary of state for education, and the Tory MP Ann Widdecombe.

  The school declined to comment yesterday.

[Stoat]

Although the school allows Muslim and Sikh pupils to wear headscarves, trousers and kara bracelets as a cultural expression of their religion, the chastity ring - a small band engraved with a biblical verse, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 - is not allowed because it is considered to be jewellery. The school also forbids the wearing of crosses and crucifixes.

"I felt as if I was being picked on because I was a Christian," said Miss Playfoot. "People were around me from other faiths and they could wear trousers and bracelets and headscarves. There was no issue. It made me feel a bit upset."

Ordinarily I would side with the school to set whatever dress code they deemed appropriate, but in this case their rules are not being applied equally, as Muslim students are allowed to wear "Kara Bracelets" which are excluded from this jewelry ban and the Christian chastity ring is disallowed under the same rule.

Examples of Muslim "Kara bracelets" :

[Grizzled Bear]

So when do we riot? Oops; that’s right. We don’t do that.

[Stoat]

So when do we riot? Oops; that’s right. We don’t do that.

It seems to be about time to start, doesn't it?

These tyrannies of the State in favor of minorities which trample the majority have gotten far beyond tiresome.

[Stoat]

Muslim Enlightenment Ping

[bubbacluck]

She might injure someone with that tiny little ring if she stumbled and used someone to right herself? That is really lame.

[joebuck]

"Miss Playfoot was asked to remove hers on the grounds that it broke the school's no-jewellery policy and it could injure someone if she fell and used her hand to steady herself."

This reason doesn't even make sense and sounds like a cya excuse crafted by some lawyer after the fact.

[Stoat]

She might injure someone with that tiny little ring if she stumbled and used someone to right herself? That is really lame.

Agreed.  They will spin the most preposterous argument in order to avoid admitting the truth, which is that  they don't want Christian messages or symbolism because it runs counter to their Leftist dogma, and they are quite happy to exempt Muslims from their rules because they prefer to promote ANY religion over Christianity, such is their seething hatred of it.  (And Christians won't blow up the school when they are insulted)

[muir_redwoods]

"....and it could injure someone if she fell and used her hand to steady herself."

Was that said with a straight face? Amazing!

[Aria]

Finally, something I like about the Muslims - their bracelets!

[Stoat]

"Miss Playfoot was asked to remove hers on the grounds that it broke the school's no-jewellery policy and it could injure someone if she fell and used her hand to steady herself."

This reason doesn't even make sense and sounds like a cya excuse crafted by some lawyer after the fact.

Agreed.  And even if one were to accept the ludicrous "steadying yourself" argument, the allowed Kara bracelets are far larger, more obtrusive and a dramatically greater 'safety hazard".

This is a pure manifestation of hatred and bias toward Christians and of the fawning reverence for anything Muslims that is so very fashionable on the Left.

"Miss Playfoot was asked to remove hers on the grounds that it broke the school's no-jewellery policy and it could injure someone if she fell and used her hand to steady herself."

This reason doesn't even make sense and sounds like a cya excuse crafted by some lawyer after the fact.

[Stoat]

"....and it could injure someone if she fell and used her hand to steady herself."

Was that said with a straight face? Amazing!

It takes Leftists a lifetime of indoctrination to be able to spew the garbage that they do with a straight face.  Normal, sane people will burst out laughing every time because such statements are completely counter to any glance in the direction of logic.

"....and it could injure someone if she fell and used her hand to steady herself."

Was that said with a straight face? Amazing!

[Stoat]

Finally, something I like about the Muslims - their bracelets!

They are quite stylish, aren't they?  And schools in the UK will allow you to wear them, providing you're a Muslim.  If you aren't a Muslim, then you will have to leave it at home.

[modhom]

Perhaps her arms should be cut off so that she doesn’t accidentally elbow somebody.

[Stoat]

Perhaps her arms should be cut off so that she doesn’t accidentally elbow somebody.

That solution would be equally as logical as the school's rationale that is cited in the article.

[Aria]

The “special rights” rationale is completely beyond my comprehension!

[Stoat]

The “special rights” rationale is completely beyond my comprehension!

That is because your thinking is constrained by the antiquated concepts of logic, clarity, reason and rational thinking.  Dispense with these outdated axioms and it will all become clear.

[Stoat]

Islam Ping

[Stoat]

Ping

[KrisKrinkle]

Ummmm...When I Googled “Kara bracelet” it showed up as related to the Sikh religion.

[little jeremiah]

Later read/pingout.