interesting school 'problem'

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**Torga_DW**

Found this and thought it worth sharing: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3051349/The-principal-believes-females-run-excessively-lose-virginity-Principal-Islamic-school-fire-banned-female-students-competing-district-cross-country.html

'The principal believes if females run excessively they may lose their virginity': Student's note to Islamic school principal who banned girls from cross-country carnival because it would make them INFERTILE

Al-Taqwa College principal banned female students from running
Former teachers claim believes it will cause them to lose their virginity
Students wrote a letter asking Omar Hallak saying it was 'unfair'
Asked him to let them compete in cross country they had been training for

By Freya Noble for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 08:35 EST, 23 April 2015 | Updated: 10:58 EST, 23 April 2015

The principal of an Islamic school has come under fire after he reportedly banned girls from running, amid fears it would cause them to lose their virginity.

Former teachers of Al-Taqwa College, in Melbourne's outer western suburbs, claim in a letter sent to the state and federal education ministers that principal Omar Hallak was discriminating against female students.

The Age reported that the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority is currently investigating the allegations.
Omar Hallak, principal of Islamic School Al-Taqwa College in Melbourne, reportedly bans his female students from running

Omar Hallak, principal of Islamic School Al-Taqwa College in Melbourne, reportedly bans his female students from running

This comes a month after revelations that Mr Hallak was telling students at his school that Islamic State was not 'created' by Muslims, but was instead a plot against them by the West.

The letter sent to ministers by a former teacher this week about the girls not being able to fully participate in sport claimed Mr Hallak believes there is 'scientific evidence' to back his claims.

'The principal holds beliefs that if females run excessively, they may 'lose their virginity',' the letter said.

'The principal believes that there is scientific evidence to indicate that if girls injure themselves, such as break their leg while playing soccer, it could render them infertile.'

The principal of Al-Taqwa College banned female primary school students from participating in the 2013 and 2014 cross country district events, the teacher also claimed.
A group of students wrote this letter to Mr Hallak when they discovered they had been banned from competing, and asked him to be 'fair'

A group of students wrote this letter to Mr Hallak when they discovered they had been banned from competing, and asked him to be 'fair'

They said the principal had been unaware that the female students were training for the event, and got involved when he was notified.

When they found out they had been prevented from competing, a group of female students penned a letter to their principal asking him to let them compete.

'This letter is about the cross country event that has been cancelled', the letter from 'cross country girls' read.

'Apparantly (sic) it is because girls can't run and that is really offensive to all the girls that were going to participate in the event.

'As a school principal you should treat all the subjects equally just to be fair to all the students that want to participate in a sport event', the letter continued.
Last month it was reported that Mr Hallak was teaching students at his school (pictured) that Islamic State was not the doing of Muslims, but rather a plot against them

Last month it was reported that Mr Hallak was teaching students at his school (pictured) that Islamic State was not the doing of Muslims, but rather a plot against them

The note from the group of students also raises that point that 'it doesn't say girls can't run in the hadith (sayings of the prophet Mohammed)' and they should be able to participate as long as they are wearing 'appropriate clothes'.

Education minister James Merlino has told 3AW the reports are concerning and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority is investigating.

"If true these are very concerning reports and I have asked the VRQA to investigate and report back to me," Mr Merlino has told 3AW on Thursday.

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia Al-Taqwa College refused to comment.

Last month it was reported that Mr Hallak was teaching students at his school that Islamic State was not the doing of Muslims, but rather a plot against them.

He reportedly shows his almost 2,000 students ‘evidence’ that Islamic State terrorists are ‘not linked to Islam’.

‘We don’t believe Muslims are creating IS,’ Mr Hallak told The Age. He believes that the murder and brutality carried out by Islamic State terrorists is actually a plot by Western countries to control oil in the Middle East.

I'm not sure whether to file this under religious nuttery or sexism, but really, is losing your virginity due to running too fast even a thing? Either way it's deplorable, but sadly not shocking.

**hotsauceman1**

Well this is good news, if I go to the gym tommorow, I'm no longer a virgin

**stanman**

Athletics can cause the hymen to tear, which can lead to difficulty if it's being looked at for the basis of determining virginity.

In several old world cultures being a virgin until marriage night was expected and the bridal bedsheet stained with the brides blood would be displayed to the family as proof that the marriage was pure. Other customs would have female elders from the family inspect if the brides virginity was intact by looking between the legs prior to the wedding night. A torn hymen indicated that she wasn't a virgin.

There's also some customs about not letting young girls do certain sports, labor, or ride horses as it could compromise the tissue and mark her as impure even if she's never had sex.

**koooaei**

They'd need to run REALLY fast.

**Torga_DW**

I'm aware of the importance of virginity in the islam culture, but damn how fast do they run at that school?

**Co'tor Shas**

Must be like an Islamic version of the flash.

**timetowaste85**

I like the idea of losing virginity=infertile!!

Takes it from being a religious belief into the straight up ruling of "you're an idiot, Mr. Principal".

**Iron_Captain**

Torga_DW wrote:
I'm not sure whether to file this under religious nuttery or sexism, but really, is losing your virginity due to running too fast even a thing? Either way it's deplorable, but sadly not shocking.

This does not have to do with Islamic religion, but rather with Middle-Eastern culture in general. So it should be the second.

Also, the " Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority"? Shouldn't they be agreeing with the whole women should not run thing? Seeing as that they are Victorian

**Crazy_Carnifex**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Well this is good news, if I go to the gym tommorow, I'm no longer a virgin

Only if you're a woman.

**welshhoppo**

There's stupid, then there is using your religion to discriminate, which is far worse.

**Spetulhu**

Torga_DW wrote:
I'm not sure whether to file this under religious nuttery or sexism, but really, is losing your virginity due to running too fast even a thing?

That depends on how you define virginity. If you define it as mr. Nutter - an intact hymen - then yes, sports could cause it. So could normal work if a woman is supposed to handle agriculture, gather firewood or whatever. Research in the field hasn't been booming but IIRC it's not uncommon that a lady can have her first man and not bleed or feel pain at all. The "blood on the sheets" idea probably requires quite a few totally innocent brides to nick a finger or something.

**Avatar 720**

Don't kids tend to leave gym class deflowered, anyway? It's usually the teachers that do it, though, not the running.

**easysauce**

someone mis understood the connection between being physically fit and getting laid perhaps?

although, the religion still believes in many magical things, and has lots of out there ideas, so this isnt surprising.

Its also from the point of view of the very male centric islam,

these girls are not being pulled for their own safety, its so that their future husbands have a hymen to break and a baby maker that works.

Pretty sad all around.

**Jihadin**

This comes a month after revelations that Mr Hallak was telling students at his school that Islamic State was not 'created' by Muslims, but was instead a plot against them by the West.

I laughed out loud at this portion

**Insurgency Walker**

Jihadin wrote:
This comes a month after revelations that Mr Hallak was telling students at his school that Islamic State was not 'created' by Muslims, but was instead a plot against them by the West.

I laughed out loud at this portion

Well to be fair you should blame it on the British

**sebster**

For what its worth, this story is something of an unknown. The source for the claim is one former teacher, so it isn't that reliable. And the principal denies ever making the claim, and points out that girls take part in basketball, hockey and other sports... but gives no reason why girls didn't take part in running. Which is an answer that's both strong (girls took part in sports that were at least as strenuous) and weak (he didn't give a reason the girls didn't take part in the run).

But the part that actually makes me believe the denial is that when the other story about his claim that Muslims shouldn't join ISIS because it was a Western conspiracy he didn't deny it. If you're happy to own up to that nonsense, why deny this story?

**Torga_DW**

Don't know, people are funny about some things and not others. There was a followup article from a former female student who confirmed it, for what that was worth. Further investigation is required i guess, but on the face of it it's pretty disturbing given that it's a private school in australia (which means it'll be receiving government funding).