British Muslims furious over dress code

11/10/2004 9:35:00 AM GMT

Source: The Washington Times

The United Kingdom’ various bans of traditional dress in schools is increasingly stirring anger and resentment of the Muslim leaders in the country, The Independent reported Tuesday.

School officials in a London area known for the highest concentration of Muslims in Britain are accused of insensitivity after letters were sent during Ramadan, the Muslim’s holy month, restating the ban on the jilbab.

A jilbab is a long (an ankle-length) garment which covers the whole body of the woman except her face and hands.

"The current situation is causing chaos," said Inyat Bunglawala, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain. "We feel that those who wish to wear jilbab should be able to do so. It seems the government needs to set out precisely what is and is not acceptable."

Current rules in Britain state that the dress codes should be decided by the head teacher and governors of each school, along with guidelines provided by local authorities and central government, the newspaper said.