A school director in the United Kingdom is now facing a legal trial that could result in imprisonment or dismissal from her position. This legal action stems from her decision to prohibit Muslim students at her school from praying during school hours, as reported by The Guardian.
According to details outlined by The Guardian, one Muslim student at the school took the matter to the highest court to sue the school director and challenge her decision to impose a “ban on prayer within the school.”
The school in question, “Michaela School,” is located in Brent, northwest London, and is run by teacher Catherine Birbalsingh. She now faces a legal lawsuit due to her decision to prevent Muslim students from performing their prayers.
According to the details presented in court, around 30 students began praying in the school’s “wet area” in March of last year, using their jackets to kneel and prostrate since they were not allowed to bring prayer rugs. However, these students were later shocked by the school director’s decision to prohibit Muslim students from praying inside the school.
Sarah Hanit Kay See, the representative of the Muslim student who filed the lawsuit, stated that the prayer policy had a “practical impact of only preventing Muslims from praying because their prayers, by nature, are acts of worship and not internal.”
The unnamed student argued that the decision to “ban religious rituals” violated their religious freedom.
Michaela School, which opened in 2014, is known for its policy of “zero tolerance” toward misbehavior and strict rules, including maintaining silence in hallways and the absence of smartphones, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
