Muslim Pupil Loses High Court Challenge Against School Prayer Ban

A Muslim pupil has lost her High Court challenge against a ban on “prayer rituals” at the Michaela Community School headed by former social mobility commissioner Katharine Birbalsingh. Mr. Justice Linden issued a written ruling on Tuesday that dismissed the pupil’s argument against the ban. The judge said there was a “a rational connection between the aim of promoting the team ethos of the school, inclusivity, social cohesion etc and the prayer ritual policy.” He said, “The disadvantage to Muslim pupils at the school caused by the prayer ritual policy is in my view outweighed by the aims which it seeks to promote in the interests of the school community as a whole, including Muslim pupils.”...