Agence France Presse
LONDON, 25 November 2005 — A British university college has banned students from wearing Islamic veils and hooded sweatshirts in an effort to improve security.
Imperial College London is asking students to refrain from wearing “clothing which obscures the face such as a full or half veil, or hooded tops or scarves worn across the face” so strangers can be identified on campus.
The institution — which is an independent part of the wider University of London — will work toward a compromise with students about religious headwear, however.
In a notice, the college said the guidelines were implemented following security concerns raised by the July 7 terrorist attacks in the capital, which killed 56, including four apparent suicide bombers.
The dress code change will allow security guards to match students’ faces to their identity cards and allow members of staff to identify strangers they find in campus buildings.
Student representatives have told officials the dress code could impinge religious freedom, and talks had been arranged to decide on a formal response, a college spokeswoman told AFP.
The college says it welcomes diverse religious and cultural clothing, and will only ask students not to wear the clothing if it affects the health and safety or security of college members.
Security staff will have the right to ask students to identify themselves by comparison with the identification cards, and can remove from the college any individual who refuses that permission.
College bosses will “sympathetically consider the issue” if the code conflicts with a student’s religious beliefs, “with the aim of finding a satisfactory compromise”.
This could include asking students wearing Islamic veils to identify themselves to female staff members, the spokeswoman said.
“It is going to be dealt with sensitively on a case by case basis. I’m not aware that this has caused any problems for any students at the moment.”
