Canadians join Welsh bangle wrangle
Thu, January 10 2008
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Sarika Singh |
What began as a relatively small matter of school discipline is now escalating into a major international affair as Sikhs everywhere — plus human rights activists — fight to overturn the ban.
Sarika Singh, a pupil at the Aberdare Girls’ School in the Welsh town of Aberdare, has been excluded since Nov. 5 and was forced to attend lessons in isolation for two months after the staff at the school first noticed her wearing the kara, or bangle.
Sarika, who is the only Sikh in her school, has refused to remove the kara, saying it should not be treated as jewelry. The school’s uniform policy prohibits any jewelry other than a wristwatch and plain ear studs.
Liberty, the human rights group which has filed the challenge, is expected to argue the school has breached race relations and human rights laws, as well as a 25-year-old Law Lords’ decision which allows Sikh children to wear items representing their faith — including turbans — to school.
The group is asking for the school to amend its uniform policy to comply with Britain’s Race Relations Act.
The school’s governing body must lodge its defence before the court starts considering the case mid-January.
Some Christians have written to Welsh newspapers defending the ban. They say that when Christian girls are forbidden from wearing the crucifix, there is no reason why Sikh girls should be allowed to wear a bangle.
The question of what students may or may not wear to school has become a complex one. In French state schools girls are not allowed to wear the hijab — but in Britain they are, though the line is drawn at burqas (though this is permitted in private Muslim schools). Some schools do not allow their girls to wear the crucifix, arguing it is not compulsory for Christians. Yet another Christian girl was excluded for wearing a “chastity ring.”
Sarika, who is of Welsh-Indian origin — her full name is Sarika Watkins-Singh — said: “I am very disappointed that my school does not recognise my right to wear the kara. I did not like being put into isolation, which to me was like a prison. I feel my education was suffering.”
Meanwhile, United Sikhs, an international advocacy charity, will also apply to file a third party intervention.
The Support Sarika group on social networking site Facebook has 2,366 members, from countries as far afield as Canada, Australia, India and the U.S. “It really aggravates me that people aren’t even aware of the religions out there. I can’t even believe that they’re doing that to the girl,” wrote Gagan from Canada.
The site also includes a link to an online petition signed by nearly 1,500 people at http://supportsarika.co.uk
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