In a domestic story mirroring a recent international one, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy has banned the wearing of head coverings, including face veils, burqas and niqabs commonly worn by some Muslim women. Citing security concerns, the school – which it's worth noting is a private not a state school – claims that its few Muslim students are not being targeted or discriminated against by a general ban. The policy would presumably apply also to winter ski masks and, I suppose, excessive scarf wearing. (Luckily it's rarely cold up there, right?)
Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said he has contacted school officials about providing a religious exemption, and said it's required because the policy makes a medical exemption.
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Hooper said strong security can be maintained at a college without sacrificing religious freedom."If you can get on an airplane wearing a face veil, you can go to class at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy wearing a face veil," he said.
So far as I can tell, this would be the first College or University to enact such a ban in the U.S. Some are speculating that the cause of this action is the arrest of a recent Muslim graduate on charges of plotting a terrorist attack, but school officials say the rule change was in the works prior to that happening.
