No Burqa at Trial

(Perth, Australia) A judge ruled that a Muslim witness must remove her burqa while testifying in a trial. Reportedly, the decision by District Court Judge Shauna Deane applies only to the trial of Anwar Sayed, a Muslim school director accused of fraud.

Prosecution witness Tasneem, 36, who does not wish her surname to be published, has worn the burqa since the age of 17 and wanted to wear it while giving evidence.




The fraud trial of former Muslim school director Anwar Sayed is due to resume with a new jury in October.

Sayed is accused of fraudulently obtaining up to $752,000 in state and federal grants by falsifying roll numbers for the Muslim Ladies College of Australia in Kenwick, south of Perth, in 2006.

Defense attorneys raised the burqa issue fearing that jurors wouldn't be able to read the facial expressions of a witness.

Interestingly, if jurors need to see a face to know the full story, wouldn't the school director need to see faces to know the full enrollment? Readers can decide.

In any event, the burqa issue is a hot topic among the followers of the religion of peace. Sayed has been attacked and received death threats.