 
Sikh Students Allowed Kirpans Sikh students who attend public schools must be allowed to wear ceremonial daggers (kirpans) according to a recent Supreme Court decision. A majority of the Court found that a Quebec student's religious freedom under the Charter outweighed a local school board's "speculative" security concerns. However, the Court approved a compromise "accommodation" that requires the kirpan to be secured in a sheath and worn underneath clothing. Special Counsel Mahmud Jamal represented CCLA in its intervention in the case. According to Jamal, "community security . . . may well have a legitimate role in limiting individual rights in appropriate cases. Here, however, there [were] only speculative security concerns." He went on to note that other items which could be used as weapons were completely accessible in the schools, such as baseball bats, compasses, and hockey sticks. Why, asked Jamal, should kirpans be singled out this way? | CCLA In The Schools | Join Us | Feedback | Search | Other Interesting Sites | Home |
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