Heading to trouble

It is required of Muslims to dress modestly. Many, but not all females of the faith who have reached the age of maturity choose to cover their head with a head covering, a scarf or hijab, the belief being that only close relatives and their husband should see their hair in all its glory.

I have checked into this matter thoroughly and the results of my investigation are this: It is exactly 0% of my business what a Muslim woman does with her hair. Just as it is none of my beeswax what a Presbyterian, a Zoroastrian, or a veterinarian does. 

In fact, I sit and shake my head at people like this:

In New Jersey, the South Orange-Maplewood School District is looking in to why a teacher pulled the hijab off the head of a student in her class. Allegedly, she told the young lady she "didn't need" to cover her hair at school.

News alert: this local version of Ms Krabappel has secret powers and knows just what everyone needs to do!

This all happened recently at Seth Boyden Elementary School in Maplewood. People first learned of it via social media posts from Ibtihaj Muhammad, the Olympic bronze medal winning fencer who just happens to be from Maplewood. Muhammad is the first Muslim American woman to compete in the Olympics while wear a hijab.

"The young student resisted, by trying to hold onto her hijab, but the teacher pulled the hijab off, exposing her hair to the class," Muhammad wrote on Instagram.

She added that the teacher said to the student "your hair is beautiful and you don't have to wear a hijab in school anymore."

"Imagine being a child and stripped of your clothing in front of your classmates. Imagine the humiliation and trauma this experience has caused her.  This is abuse," Muhammad wrote, aptly.

The school district is doing the sidestep, telling a news outlet that they are looking into it, but "social media is not a reliable forum for due process."

"We must abide by our legal obligations to keep personnel and student matters confidential," the statement said. "We will utilize the existing District due process mechanisms to ensure fair and just outcomes based upon the results of our investigation. Any decision or outcome related to this will be reserved for after the completion of the investigation."

As if reading from a mimeographed statement handed out last summer to all principals, the district added that it "remains committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as regular anti-bias and anti-racism training for educators."

"Regardless of the results of the investigation, we are committed to restorative practices to help our students, staff and families process the social-emotional harms done," the statement added.

Wow. Lawyerese much?

The executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is named Selaedin Maksut, and he said the whole thing came to his attention when the student's mother called him.

"People can't claim ignorance and they don't know. It’s very common knowledge the significance of the headscarf in the religion," he said.

CAIR wants the teacher to be fired and replaced, saying, "Anything less than removing her from the classroom would be unacceptable. If she can't respect the religious practices of her students, then she shouldn’t be teaching."

The whole thing comes down to respect, in fact. How did such a person ever get hired to teach, with such attitudes in her soul? Teach your class and don't worry about side issues, be my advice.