Classroom assistant at Muslim girls' school forced out of job by parents who believed she was a man

Classroom assistant at Muslim girls' school forced out of job by parents who believed she was a man

www.dailyma il.co.uk

A classroom assistant has quit her job at a strict Muslim girls' school after parents launched an email campaign claiming she was a man.

Shifa Patel, who dressed traditionally in a hijab and full-length robe while at work, had to submit herself to a humiliating medical examination after the petition demanded she prove her gender.

The headteacher at Al-Islah Muslim Girls' School in Blackburn, Lancashire, even sent a letter to parents reassuring them that Ms Patel was female in an attempt to quash the growing discontent.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Okay i am lost for words here so ill start by asking the obvious.

How did they come to that conclusion if she was covered from top to bottom ? Well this is how it come about.

Okay girls, if you have short hair and wearing a shirt and trousers and your a Muslim, i suggest you re-think your image or hire an image consultant before you apply for a job.

Has anyone informed them that there is something called Photoshop..!

www.dailyma il.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 12/6/2009 by Mirthful Me]

That is horrifyingly sad.
What kind of world do we live in?

reply to post by beautyfrompain


Regardless of the fact the she is Muslim, the mere humiliation she must feel would be seriously affecting her. I guess she should seek legal advice and sue big time.

hopefully this will be her wake up call to the atrocities of organized religion.

sometimes it takes these kinds of things to happen to wake one up from the spiritual slumber

Funny how muslims seem to get away with anything in this country these days, because if someone says they are doing something wrong its discrimination, and racist.

Is it only me who sees there being something wrong with having a muslim-only school in a country where they are already (supposedly) a minority?

Multi-culturalism? If you want to integrate, integrate - trying to keep your own values while also (supposedly) wanting to integrate into a different country/culture just seems a bit hypocritical to me.

I know i do not search for these articles but they are flashed on me screen as breaking news, so it seems when i read something about their religion it almost always turns out to be seriously off the planet news.

Like i said, i am lost for words on this one..

Originally posted by AR154
Is it only me who sees there being something wrong with having a muslim-only school in a country where they are already (supposedly) a minority?

Multi-culturalism? If you want to integrate, integrate - trying to keep your own values while also (supposedly) wanting to integrate into a different country/culture just seems a bit hypocritical to me.

Well there are catholic schools everywhere.
In some places, there are just as many catholic schools as normal public schools.

If it is a private school, they can have whatever restrictions they want! Religious, ability (gifted schools/developmentally challenged schools), anything they want.
It is hard to be a muslim girl in a normal school, as you are not allowed to have men touch you at all, even graze past, and that happens every day at school. I don't see a problem in the existence of the school itself, but rather in the ridiculously inappropriate actions of the parents. It is an all-girls school so they do have the right to make sure the teachers are also female, but once they had proof, they should have stopped.

her last name is Patel, that isn't a muslim name
it's a hindu family name originating from Gujrat

Shifa however is a muslim name

so perhaps this stems from people who didn't like her last name... who knows

maybe she married a hindu and that angered people

Originally posted by ModernAcademia
her last name is Patel, that isn't a muslim name
it's a hindu family name originating from Gujrat

Shifa however is a muslim name

so perhaps this stems from people who didn't like her last name... who knows

maybe she married a hindu and that angered people

Excellent observation

more muslim hipocracy,"don`t discriminate against us but FK every one whos not following our rules" i for one am sick of hearing it. nobody has a right to pry in to a persons life like that. its pure discrimination. so what if she was a man once before

Maybe she pee's standing up?

Ya never know...

Originally posted by beautyfrompain
That is horrifyingly sad.
What kind of world do we live in?

Apparently a New Muslim world order.

and it will only get worse i fear.

Originally posted by BiohazardsBack




It is an all-girls school so they do have the right to make sure the teachers are also female, but once they had proof, they should have stopped.

exacly..Nothing wrong with that..But poor.poor,pityfull me always ruins the day..

hell Obama cant even put his feet up while on the phone,It upsets people 4000 miles away...

Everyone seriously has to stop muslim-bashing.
This was a MUSLIM SCHOOL
therefore they have the right to make sure everyone teaching is MUSLIM.
It is an ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL
They have the right to make sure everyone teaching is FEMALE!

This is not them "taking over".
This is a small school (200 students I believe it said) that allows these people to be what they are without people accusing them of trying to take over a friggin country just because they moved there!

I don't accuse anyone of trying to take over canada. In Vancouver, probably almost half the population is asian, and in Toronto, mostly black, all recent immigrants. I don't go shouting that they're trying to change the country.

I think you all need to take a deep breath and think about the fact that these are human beings!


Nobody comes in here whining about how the catholic schools are trying to turn every person in the world catholic! No, they just want the chance to be taught about their own religion, along with all the other subjects.
In this case it makes even more sense, considering the fact that their religion dictates that they pray so many times in a day, which most other schools would flat-out forbid them from doing!

There are private schools that cost more than the average person's housing bill per year, but you don't accuse them of trying to make the world rich, now do you? Because it just doesn't make sense.

It sickens me that people on ATS of all places can take this story about people being people (slightly ridiculous and prone to believing anything they get in an email) and make it something so offensive and disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourselves for speaking about these people like they were some kind of monsters.

BTW, a private school is free to do whatever it wants in addition to teaching the required curriculum. It can teach satanism if it wants, it can require you to dye your hair a certain color, etc, etc.
This is not a case of discrimination at all.
This is a case of a rumor gone too far.


Think of it in the simplest form.
-you sign your daughter up for an all girls school because for whatever reason, you don't want her around boys. Ever.
-someone says one of the teachers is male and hiding it (regardless of the truth or not)
-you want proof that it isn't some perv trying to look at all the girls in an environment where they feel safe.

The point where this turns wrong is where the parents, despite proof that the woman is in fact a woman, continue to harass her. That isn't discrimination however, as it has been proven that there is nothing different about her. It is just stupidity.

reply to post by BiohazardsBack


Indeed. My daughter and step-son go to CoE School's, yet I nor my partner are Christian (or even religious).

I even see Muslim girls and boys going to these schools, which I admit is actually re-assuring as it shows a degree of intigration.

My daughter has to attend Church every Thursday morning as a result of being there, but I don't object as I see it as a sort of Moral education, even if I disagree with the Religion itself.

When she is older she'll realise it's all hocus-pocus, but for now, she enjoys the stories and lessons plus it grounds her as a human being. No harm done.

I do not feel that there is anything wrong with minorities having a school which allows them to continue practicing their cultures history. But , if and when they move to a point that its in direct conflict with the laws that cover all citizens of any country, then, they can and should be held accountable.

I don't care if its muslims, christians or martians, the law is th law when it comes down to human riots violations. As i said, she SHOULD SEEK legal advice as this seems to be a win win situation on her side.

Originally posted by BiohazardsBack
Everyone seriously has to stop muslim-bashing.
This was a MUSLIM SCHOOL
therefore they have the right to make sure everyone teaching is MUSLIM.
It is an ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL
They have the right to make sure everyone teaching is FEMALE!

They brought the bashing onto them selves. I believe the parents have a sterotype about women are and how one should behave. The parents who came to school wanting to lynch her probably believe that only guys have short hair.

I just happen to like my women to have short hair. Too bad they're all Lesbians. I'm too strait. :bnghd:

It seems also that there is some ignorance of Islamic law (specifically Hijaab) going on here....

Here's the thing...one of the clothing restrictions states:

"The form of dress should not in any way resemble that of men."

Due to this, many faithful muslims therefore conclude that of course, she must actually be a man. (i.e. photos of her in jeans, a shirt) or else risk her eternal soul.

Now, this doesn't forgive the parents' ignorance in refuting medical proof, nor does it excuse their outrage over a rule that is commonly being lessened even in many arab nations. But, it does show that there is more to the story than one may have originally realized.

It is obviously a very traditional school (and yes, other religions have their own schools, why should Islam be any different?), and the parents are outraged over the teacher's extra-curricular lack of following the faith. (seems like a minor infraction to westerners, but to people who sleep, eat, and breathe their religion...much more serious).....