Aishah Azmi

Who is Aishah Azmi?

Aishah Azmi is a British Muslim woman who came to public attention in 2006 after being suspended and then dismissed from her position as a classroom assistant in a Church of England faith school for refusing to take off her niqab when required to work in a classroom alongside a male teacher. A picture of her in her niqab appeared on the front pages of tabloids, such as The Sun and the Daily Mail, as well as newspapers such as the Daily Telegraph and The Times. Prior to the outcome of her religious discrimination tribunal case, Prime Minister Tony Blair broke from the traditional protocol of not commenting on a case before the courts, and gave his backing for her dismissal, for which he was severely criticised by the Employment Tribunal.