Phantom Flan Flinger in Teaching Shocker!

It has been reported today that the Phantom Flan Flinger has been found teaching at a school in the United Kingdom. The devout follower of the Tiswas faith cited that moves to sack him were "Anti Tiswas" and that if neccesary, he would retaliate with "custard pies".

Now to be serious for a moment, I would consider myself as one of the most unracist and most tolerant people you could meet. I have even gone on anti-racist marches (with the added incentive of seeing The Levellers for free). Being an enthuiastic Labour supporter, I greatly applaud the way Britain is a free society, free to follow whatever religion one chooses or does not. Personally, I worship at the church of Wetherspoons, but I do not force this down people's throats, accept at the weekend.

Across the board religious freedom, however, cannot be extended to include wearing a full Burka veil in the classroom, this is just common sense. When someone is teaching youngsters, facial expressions to get the message across are vitally important. If this was a Muslim only school, perhaps it would be a different matter, but this incident is taking place in a multi faith school. The teaching assistant should not be seeking to illustrate her religion when teaching the cirriculum, to be blunt, her religious conviction could get in the way of what she is supposed to be teaching. What has maths to do with God? when it's obviously to do with Satan ! .

I also do not accept her solution, that she could take off the veil when teaching female students, but keep it on when male students are around. Should a tolerant modern society, ever pander to such sexist claptrap. Of course we should not.

As a compromise, she should of course be free to wear whatever she wants to and from the school. Mind you, this too could cause controversy, and set a bad example, in light of the fact that schools are so very keen on expelling children for hair-cuts,short skirts and girls wearing trousers in winter.

Labour MP Phil Woolas is wholly right to call for her dismissal. This is not about Islam, it is about respect for the children, the woman is supposed to be teaching, and being professional in the workplace. There would be a national outcry if the Flan Flinger was caught teaching, so I am afraid that whether it's a question of religious faith or not, the same rules must apply to the unfortunate Asiah Azmi.