LONDON – A British Muslim mother is suing her daughter’s school after she was banned from entering the school premises while donning her niqab or face veil.

“I was very shaken and was in a state of shock about what had happened. I had never experienced anything like this before,” the mother, Rachida Serroukh, 37, told The Guardian on Friday, July 21.

“I have experienced name calling in the street from strangers about my veil but nothing like this had ever happened before. When I got home, I just broke down.”

Serroukh, a single mother of three girls, was reportedly told by teachers during a parents evening at the prestigious Holland Park school, in west London, that it was the school’s policy not to allow face veils.

Serroukh, a qualified childcare assistant who used to study at the school herself, wrote to the school for clarification on the face veil ban.

She received a reply from the deputy head teacher stating that it had “not been necessary to date for the school to have this requirement stated in written policy”.

It continued: “Given the concerns you have raised, we are now considering a written amendment to our health and safety policy to include this specific requirement and will follow the normal protocol of seeking the approval of the governing body.”

In a second letter, the school wrote: “We would wish to reiterate that no offence was intended when Mrs … met with you to discuss the situation on the evening of the welcome interviews and it was the school’s intention to provide clarity and transparency.”

The mother, who plans to return to work when her 11-year-old daughter is settled in school, said no policy had been mentioned before and she had never had a problem with security at the school gate.

“I always lift my veil and show my photo ID when required to do so for security purposes.”

Shocked

Serroukh said the incident left her feeling like she “doesn’t belong”, even though she lives across the road and used to attend the school.

“What has happened to me at Holland Park is discrimination. I hope we can resolve the matter amicably,” she added.

“Education is very important to me and I want to ensure that all my children get a good education. My daughter, who will be starting at Holland Park after the school holidays, did really well in her Year 6 SATs and was the top girl in her class.

“The Government constantly talks about British values. To me, those values include diversity and multiculturalism. If a school in London is doing this, what might be happening elsewhere?”

Attiq Malik, of Liberty Law Solicitors, who is representing Serroukh in court, said the case was not just about one incident but a question of human rights of every citizen in the country.

“The main question being raised is this woman’s freedom of expression and her freedom of belief being infringed unduly,” he told The Independent. “Schools should be allowed to dictate to people what they can and cannot wear on the premises, but what we say is there can’t be unlimited power of that, it has to be subject to the rule of law and human rights in this country.

“If people are not allowed to come to premises wearing a niqab for example – does this not pave the way for a raster not to be allowed to wear dreadlocks, or a Sikh not being allowed to wear a turban? What are we opening the door to?”