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OnIslam & News Agencies
Friday, 21 October 2011 12:53
The 14-year-old Tennessee girl could not wear her hijab while in uniform at a parade.
TENNESSEE – A US Muslim high school freshman has complained of being denied the right to participate in a homecoming parade because of her hijab.
"It was during Spirit Week. We were getting ready for the homecoming parade and the head officer said that I wouldn't be able to wear the headscarf while I had the uniform on," Demin told Fox News on Thursday, October 20. "I said that it was a religious thing and that I really couldn't take it off.”
The 14-year-old student, at Ravenwood High School, has been practicing for a long time to participate in the parade.
Receiving the news that she could not participate, the young girl asked the officer if an exception could be made.
But school officials and district lawyers told her that they has to take off her hijab in line with the school rules.
"We as a school system are bound to the regulations of the Army. We cannot conduct the program unless we follow the regulations," said Jason Golden, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for the school district. The decision, coming one day before the parade, was a shock to the young Muslim student, who felt discriminated against in her own country.
"We were practicing all week and the day before the parade he pulled me over to the side and said that I couldn't march," Demin recalled, speaking of her senior officer.
"I wanted to break down and cry right there, but I held it in and went into stoic mode." Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.
Though there are no official estimates, the US is home to an estimated Muslim minority of six to eight million.
A Gallup poll found last August 2011 that the majority of Americans Muslims are loyal to their country and optimistic about their future in the United States.
Apology Required
Sensing the hurt feelings of their daughter, Demin’s family reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) which called for a formal apology be issued to the young student.
"It's an unwise policy,” CAIR staff attorney Gadeir Abbas told Fox News.
“It's acceptable for a Jewish student to wear his yarmulke under his uniform hat. The regulations already reflect that there are religious obligations among members."
CAIR also called on the school district and the Department of Defense to change their policy which "effectively bars a Muslim student from participating in the class."
"We are reviewing the program's current policies, regulations and procedures to ensure consistent application and enforcement of uniform standards," said Lt. Col. Hackathorn.
Yet, he defended the senior officer in charge of Demin's class, saying he acted according to the regulations.
"The JROTC tries to instill good values in the students who participate," Hackathorn said.
"Wearing the uniform demonstrates personal responsibility, attention to detail, and being part of a team."
Demin’s mother, Perishan Hussein, said her daughter “felt that they were dismissive toward her beliefs. It was very upsetting to her.”
"It shouldn't have been a shock to them. She wears the headscarf every day. She has been wearing it ever since they approached her to join the program."
"We think that it's un-American that anyone is not allowed to participate over religious beliefs,” the mother continued.
"The government has previously made rules that over time, they had to change because they didn't make sense. This rule makes no sense."
Turning now to regular gym classes, Demin said she has learned a lesson from this incident.
"This has definitely made me stronger, it's definitely made me learn to look at the positives, instead of the negatives," the teenager told Channel News 5.
She also hopes the Army will amend its policy so other Muslim women will not have go through what she experienced.
"Because Muslims are here in America, Muslims are going to want to join the Army, and Muslim women are going to want to join the Army and they should have the right to wear their head scarf and there not be a problem," said Demin.
"It was during Spirit Week. We were getting ready for the homecoming parade and the head officer said that I wouldn't be able to wear the headscarf while I had the uniform on," Demin told Fox News on Thursday, October 20. "I said that it was a religious thing and that I really couldn't take it off.”
The 14-year-old student, at Ravenwood High School, has been practicing for a long time to participate in the parade.
Receiving the news that she could not participate, the young girl asked the officer if an exception could be made.
But school officials and district lawyers told her that they has to take off her hijab in line with the school rules.
"We as a school system are bound to the regulations of the Army. We cannot conduct the program unless we follow the regulations," said Jason Golden, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for the school district. The decision, coming one day before the parade, was a shock to the young Muslim student, who felt discriminated against in her own country.
"We were practicing all week and the day before the parade he pulled me over to the side and said that I couldn't march," Demin recalled, speaking of her senior officer.
"I wanted to break down and cry right there, but I held it in and went into stoic mode." Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.
Though there are no official estimates, the US is home to an estimated Muslim minority of six to eight million.
A Gallup poll found last August 2011 that the majority of Americans Muslims are loyal to their country and optimistic about their future in the United States.
Apology Required
Sensing the hurt feelings of their daughter, Demin’s family reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) which called for a formal apology be issued to the young student.
"It's an unwise policy,” CAIR staff attorney Gadeir Abbas told Fox News.
“It's acceptable for a Jewish student to wear his yarmulke under his uniform hat. The regulations already reflect that there are religious obligations among members."
CAIR also called on the school district and the Department of Defense to change their policy which "effectively bars a Muslim student from participating in the class."
"We are reviewing the program's current policies, regulations and procedures to ensure consistent application and enforcement of uniform standards," said Lt. Col. Hackathorn.
Yet, he defended the senior officer in charge of Demin's class, saying he acted according to the regulations.
"The JROTC tries to instill good values in the students who participate," Hackathorn said.
"Wearing the uniform demonstrates personal responsibility, attention to detail, and being part of a team."
Demin’s mother, Perishan Hussein, said her daughter “felt that they were dismissive toward her beliefs. It was very upsetting to her.”
"It shouldn't have been a shock to them. She wears the headscarf every day. She has been wearing it ever since they approached her to join the program."
"We think that it's un-American that anyone is not allowed to participate over religious beliefs,” the mother continued.
"The government has previously made rules that over time, they had to change because they didn't make sense. This rule makes no sense."
Turning now to regular gym classes, Demin said she has learned a lesson from this incident.
"This has definitely made me stronger, it's definitely made me learn to look at the positives, instead of the negatives," the teenager told Channel News 5.
She also hopes the Army will amend its policy so other Muslim women will not have go through what she experienced.
"Because Muslims are here in America, Muslims are going to want to join the Army, and Muslim women are going to want to join the Army and they should have the right to wear their head scarf and there not be a problem," said Demin.
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