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British Minister Decries Teacher Who Wears VeilLONDON -- A government minister joined an increasingly bitter debate over the rights of Muslim women to wear face veils in Britain, telling a Sunday newspaper a teaching assistant should be fired for insisting on wearing one in school.

Public debate over Islamic integration in Britain began earlier this month, when Jack Straw, a former foreign secretary who now serves as leader of the House of Commons, said he requested that Muslim women visiting his office remove their veils.

Phil Woolas, the government's Race and Faith minister, was quoted by The Sunday Mirror newspaper as demanding Muslim teaching assistant Aishah Azmi be fired for refusing to remove her veil at work.

"She should be sacked. She has put herself in a position where she can't do her job," Woolas said.

I'm hardly fond of the veil tradition, but this ticks me off. How does the veil prevent her from doing her job?

...Just now, I checked a longer article. The issue cited is that the students can't see her lips move, which, in a class full of ESL students, may be important. Good thing I'm not relying entirely on the Express anymore. Still, is it important enough to fire somebody?

Last week, I learned about an airline that allowed its employees to wear turbans and other religious headgear but demanded that they keep all jewelry hidden, including crosses. Some call that unfair to Christians.

What do you guys think about these two stories?

I think it just depends on the person's attitude towards the situation.

Kids tend to respond to people's faces. If it is young kids anyway.

I mean, in an islamic school it's fine. But most of the UK isn't islamic, so why should we have to change our ways for people who came here?

Amen Rooster, they start with one thing and keep on pushing where to draw the line. Then pretty soon it will lead to special scholarships to every other race but your own just like over on this side of the pond.

Thats the problem even with my Korean roomates coming over here they stick together too much and don't get a good grasp of the language and culture. I've been working with them. I always try to have deep conversations with them so they learn the language better.I like taking em out on drives and to the mall and stuff. I'm not racist or nothing but my big golden rule is if you go somewhere you learn and adapt to be like the culture you chose to surround yourself in. Not make them change for you.

I second both Rooster and FF's posts, however, I need to explain my veiw.

the way I see it, it's fine if your a strict follower of your religeon, and you wish to keep it that way, I'm fine with that and you can do whatever makes you dandy. However, when you come to a new conuntry, there are a fe things you should do.

1) learn to speak the language. This is one of the most important anywhere, and this doesn't just mean learn it so you can speak it when needed. Leanr it so you can speak it on the streets. Even if you meet somoen who sepaeaks your Native toungue like you do, still speak the language of where you are, not where your from. In your own house, you can speak whatever language you want, but when outside, speak the god forsaken language.

((that is actually influenced by the fact that The place I live, even thought It's Quincy Massachuseets of America, the Population is almost all Chinese, and as such, all I here on he streets is Chinese talking Chinese, and they talk LOUDLY. You aslo can't walk around a street corner without seeing some shop you knew from your childhood brutily R***** by the chinese and made into something you can't even read te sign of. Foxhound would know the best of what I'm talking about.))

2) Learn the ways of where you are. I can;t tell you how mnay times I have seen a Person not native to this country J-walk without looking as they cross the street, all because they think we'll stop for them. And people wonder why there are so many car accedents. Along these lines is learning about the food and such.

I don't really understand it. I mean, I'm hopefully going to emigrate to Canada by my mid twenties. But if when I get there I meet a load of English people, I wouldn't be happy, I'd be like "Oh f*ck...I left to get away from you people!"

Basically, I don't understand going to live in a country if you don't love the idea of living there. The last thing I want in Canada is any Fish and Chips shops...

The last thing I want in Canada is any Fish and Chips shops...

We have some...

But since I don't like seafood, I just don't bother getting any.

The last thing I want in Canada is any Fish and Chips shops...

We have some...

But since I don't like seafood, I just don't bother getting any.

Nnooooooooooooooo!

The last thing I want in Canada is any Fish and Chips shops...

We have some...

But since I don't like seafood, I just don't bother getting any.

Nnooooooooooooooo!

*offers Rooster a poutine*

I can;t tell you how mnay times I have seen a Person not native to this country J-walk without looking as they cross the street, all because they think we'll stop for them. And people wonder why there are so many car accedents. Along these lines is learning about the food and such.

All vehicles are supposed to yeild to pedestrians. Always. I agree with your point, but in this particular example it's the driver who is wrong.

In my opinion, there is no 'win-win' to this problem. Forign people need to adapt to their new home, but at the same time the native people must be willing to accept the part of their culture they donot want to give up. There is always a gray area. It dosn't need to be all or nothing.

In this particular case, I think that the woman should be required to not wear the veil while teaching, but whenever she is not directly teaching the entire class, she should be aloud to wear it. Is there any actual evidence that the students are haveing difficulty learning? And what grade level is she teaching? Also, she is an assistant, not the teacher, so it really should not be that much of an issue.

Not in the twin cities I believe. All I know is there is some town or state in the US where cars have the right away.

thanks for being open minded about it! ^_^

Don't we have rules against racism here somewhere?

I forgot we even had actual "rules" <_<

to the point that I've probably repeatedly broken them, in my own seniority.

I say we replace the rules with cheesecake