By Carly Hennessy, The Sunday Mail (Qld), February 26, 2011 5:00PM
Queensland, Australia - AN Islamic school planning to offer five scholarships to indigenous students is debating whether to abandon the compulsory wearing of the hijab.
All Prep to Year 12 girls at the co-educational Australian International Islamic College based at Durack wear a white headscarf, or hijab, as standard uniform.
The school's board said it has always welcomed non-Muslims, but until now there had been few takers.
It expects its first enrolments of indigenous students and Mormons from the local area who have expressed interest in enrolling, to happen in the next 12 months.
Board member Shahid Khan said it was a pressing issue.
"This is something we have to discuss yet with parents," Mr Khan said. "If you have a uniform all looking alike, then there's no difference between rich and poor."
He said he had discussed this with many students saying that beyond school, people would look different.
"When you go to uni you will not have Muslims there," he has told students.
"But the questions is how far do you go?
"We don't want to go too far and make our students look like a shopping centre where everyone looks different."
One family requested their daughter be allowed to wear the niqab (a face covering) but was denied, because it was not part of the uniform.
Principal Dr Ray Barrett said the school looked forward to welcoming other denominations, but there were issues to be ironed out.
"The thing we're discussing with teachers and the community is if (some students) are exempt will other marginal Muslims want to take the hijab off, and how does this make everyone feel," Dr Barrett said.
