A Muslim teaching assistant who refused to remove her veil in the classroom has been fired by the British primary school she worked for, the local authority said Friday.

Aishah Azmi insisted on wearing a niqab — a veil which leaves only the eyes visible — during lessons, and in October, the local education authority suspended her with pay. On Friday, a brief statement issued by the Kirklees Council said that a hearing had been held by the school's governing body, and that it was decided to "terminate the employment of the employee concerned."....

[T]he government's race minister, Phil Woolas, said she should be dismissed because her refusal to remove her veil meant she was unable to do her job and was denying children their education. [Link]