Australia Islamic school ‘bans running’ over virginity fears
An Islamic college in Australia is under investigation after claims that its principal has banned girls from taking part in running competitions because they might “lose their virginity”. Victoria state Education Minister James Merlino said Thursday that if true, the claims made by a former teacher at Melbourne’s Al-Taqwa College “would be very concerning”. “I have asked the schools regulator, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, to investigate,” he said in a statement. The former teacher wrote to government ministers this week alleging “the principal (Omar Hallak) holds beliefs that if females run excessively, they may ‘lose their virginity'”, The Age newspaper 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 newspaper published a letter that appeared to be written by the college’s cross-country team to Hallak...