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Indian origin Muslim teaching assistant in west Yorkshire
An Indian origin Muslim teaching assistant in west Yorkshire, suspended earlier for refusing to remove her veil during school hours, has now been dismissed from the job.Aishah Azmi, 24, was dismissed from her job at the Headfield Church of England School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.The case hogged headlines in October along with the remark by senior Labour leader Jack Straw that Muslim women who see him in his constituency should remove their veils. The two incidents sparked off yet another debate on multi-culturalism in Britain.
Azmi had attended a disciplinary hearing last week, with her face veiled, in front of school governors and members of the local education authority.Azmi, who attended the hearing alone, was told she was being dismissed. Her legal advisers are reported to be awaiting official notification before considering any appeal.
Azmi is married to Ahmed Masoud Khan and the couple has a two-year-old daughter, Zainab.In October, she was awarded 1,100 pounds by an employment tribunal for ‘injury to her feelings’, but he claim of being discriminated against because of her religion was rejected.The school where Azmi was teaching had 530 students, aged seven to 11, and 92% were Muslim, mainly from India and Pakistan.Azmi said that it was her Islamic duty to wear the black veil, which covered her face except for a narrow slit at the eyes, in the presence of adult males who were not her blood relatives.Headfield Junior School officials argued that its students, many of whom are learning to speak English, found it difficult to understand what Azmi was saying when her mouth was hidden.