By Rob Taylor
CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian school refused entry toa Sikh student on Tuesday because he was wearing a turban,saying it would not change its rules despite the threat oflegal action.
The family of the 12-year-old boy, who will not be named,have complained to the Anti-Discrimination Commission inQueensland state after Ormiston College ordered the boy to cuthis hair and remove his turban as a condition of entry.
"The complaint is the college discriminated against thechild by placing conditions on his enrolment that he was unableto comply with because of his religion," family solicitor ScottMcDougall told Australian radio.
Ormiston College is a co-educational and non-denominationalschool which says on its Web site that it "affirms individualdifferences and actively promotes cultural and intellectualunderstanding".
The private school, which has almost 550 students, is onthe coastal outskirts of the state capital Brisbane.
Principal Brett Webster said the school respected the boy'sreligious beliefs, but would not change its rules.
"We're certainly not asking the family or the boy to turntheir back on their religion," Webster said.
"But the question is should the school, should everyorganisation, change its standard policies every time somebodycomes along with a different set of beliefs."
Australia has around 50,000 Sikhs among the 21 millionpopulation.
Several Western nations have been criticised for bans onhead coverings and clothing, including France where conspicuousreligious symbols are barred. Germany has banned hijabs forfemale students, while Britain has seen controversy over veils.
Brisbane international airport officials were alsocriticised on Tuesday after demanding 13 Sikhs and a womanwearing a veil remove their head coverings for securitychecking.
Airport spokesman Jim Carden said the group had been askedtake off the turbans and veil only after initial screening witha metal-detection wand.
"No one has singled out Sikhs or Muslims, or anybody else,"he said. "If the screening authority is still not satisfiedthat the screening has still not been completed, that passengermay be asked to remove that headgear."
(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
