Thursday, October 24, 2013

School backs down in beards row

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A Catholic secondary school which excluded two 14-year-old Muslim boys because they refused to shave off their beards, has now backed down, but set strict conditions for the wearing of beards.

Amid fears that the ban might clash with human rights legislation and after advice from the Bishop of Salford the governors of Mount Carmel High in Accrington, Lancashire, have now agreed that beards will be allowed in certain clearly defined circumstances.

The two boys have been receiving lessons in the school's isolation unit since the beginning of the term after ignoring an order issued in the summer to several Asian pupils to return clean-shaven for the new academic year. 

The school's head, Xavier Bowers, said the decision was based on the school's dress code and was not a religious issue. 

Initially he refused to change his position and the boys were given an ultimatum to either shave or leave.

However, last Friday Mr Bowers and the governors issued a statement saying that the school would allow Muslim boys to grow a beard as a sign of their faith as long as they have started the Hafiz programme. 

It requires the student to attend a mosque for up to three hours a day to pray and learn the Qur'an by heart in Arabic.

The school said in a statement: "The Bishop of Salford's advice has been for governors of Mount Carmel to work with the local Islamic leaders to support boys who are genuinely and fully committed to their faith. With this in mind and in line with European Human Rights legislation governors have taken the decision to only allow Muslim boys permission to grow a beard as a sign of their faith as long as they have started the Hafiz programme at their local mosques."