Author: Wayne Parry
Publication: www.kentucky.com
Date: November 8, 2003
URL: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/living/7194724.htm
Growing up on the shores of Sandy
Hook Bay, Mona Elgohail always loved the sea and was delighted to win a
slot at a special high school for the study of marine sciences.
But the 14-year-old eventually dropped
out of the Marine Academy of Science and Technology because of a conflict
between her Islamic faith and the school's requirement that all students
take part in Naval Junior ROTC training.
As a devout Muslim, Elgohail insisted
on wearing her hijab, the head scarf encouraged by the Koran but prohibited
by the Navy. The school tried to work with her on several alternatives
-- and officials even exempted Elgohail from the ROTC requirement in the
end -- but she dropped out of the school as a matter of principle.
"They looked at it like it was a
hat problem, like it was no big deal. But it was," she said. "It's part
of my religion. It was my choice to wear it. When I make a decision, I
stick to it."
Her experience is one of many playing
out across the country in which authorities have questioned those wearing
the hijab. From schools to police departments to airlines to motor vehicle
agencies, the scarf is welcomed in some places, tolerated in others and
banned in still others.
"A lot of it is probably just due
to a lack of education about Islam," said Faiza Ali, director of the New
Jersey office of the Council on American Islamic Relations. "Hijab is a
very visible symbol that one is a Muslim. Unfortunately, they see that
and they jump to the next conclusion: 'Muslim terrorist' or 'Muslim fanatic,'
and it scares them."
Many authorities cite safety in
prohibiting the scarves, arguing that they can be used to conceal identity
or hide weapons.
Indiana University recently dropped
a ban on women wearing head scarves for student identification photos after
four Muslim women complained. In Daytona Beach, Fla., a Muslim woman who
initially was denied a state identification card when she refused to remove
her hijab eventually got one when she agreed to adjust the covering to
permit her full face to be seen in the photo.
In Cleveland, the Cuyahoga County
Jail agreed last year to let Muslim women wear head scarves in the jail
and when they appeared in court.
American Airlines reached an out-of-court
settlement last year with a woman who said she was turned down for a customer
service job when she insisted on wearing the hijab. The airline, which
said it offered her a different job, changed its policy in 1999 to permit
the wearing of hijab, crucifixes, yar-mul-kes and other religious attire
by uniformed employees who deal with customers.
But rulings in other parts of the
country have gone against the hijab. Philadelphia police officials told
a Muslim officer in August that she would be fired if she wore her hijab
to work again. The department contends the garment is dangerous because
a suspect could grab it and injure the officer.
And an Oklahoma school district
is embroiled in a dispute with an 11-year-old girl who was suspended for
refusing to take off her hijab at school. Nashala Hearn will be allowed
to wear the scarf while a school attorney reviews the Muskogee school district's
policies.
In Elgohail's case, the decision
to leave the Marine Academy was her own. She tried covering her hair with
a hat and a bandanna, but that didn't work. The school's principal, Paul
Christopher, eventually agreed to exempt her from the ROTC requirement,
but she didn't want to be the only student in the school who was left out
of it, and later enrolled in a different high school.
The academy, which is part of the
Monmouth County Vocational School District, is extremely competitive, accepting
only students with the highest grades.
"I tried so hard to get into that
school," she said. "Making it in is a big deal, and I didn't want to leave.
It's the best place to study marine science. I still want to go back, but
only if I could wear the scarf with the uniform. I really like that school."
Christopher said the Navy issues
uniform regulations, which his school is powerless to change. In a prepared
statement, the Navy said a black or "hair-color" yarmulke is the only visible
religious item that can be worn with the uniform.
It said the Navy has received "a
handful" of requests to wear other religious items by sailors of various
faiths since the uniform policy was implemented in December 1977.
"The requests have been disapproved
because they do not fit discreetly with the military uniform, interfere
with military headgear, and may not meet safety standards," the Navy statement
read.
Mona Elgohail, 14-year-old student
Left an elite school because she wanted to wear the Muslim head covering
