The Muslim Council of Britain today welcomed what it described as a "landmark decision" by the Court of Appeal over the right to wear the jilbab to school. Iqbal Sacranie, secretary-general of the council, said: "This is a very important ruling on the issue of personal freedom. "Many other schools have willingly accommodated Muslim schoolgirls wearing the jilbab. "The British Muslim community is a diverse community in terms of the interpretation and understanding of their faith and its practice. "Within this broad spectrum those that believe and choose to wear the jilbab and consider it to be part of the faith requirement for modest attire should be respected."

Shadow education secretary Tim Collins said: "It should be for schools and schools alone to decide on the dress code they wish to specify and enforce. "Conservative education policy will provide funding for Islamic faith schools, so those parents who wish to choose schools which permit the wearing of traditional Muslim clothing will be able to do so. "However, this case yet again reflects the way in which the Human Rights Act is unduly restricting the freedom of head teachers to run their schools in their own way. "The Conservative Party is already reviewing the Human Rights Act and its negative effects in many fields, and this latest ruling further strengthens the case for fundamental change or repeal."

Dr Nazreen Nawaz, women's representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir which seeks to explain Islamic beliefs to Western society, said: "Shabina's case is a great source of motivation for Muslims living in the West to maintain their Islamic values regardless of the obstacles."

Faith leaders in Miss Begum's home town of Luton welcomed the judgment but stressed that most Muslims were perfectly happy to see their children wear the hijab or shalwar kameez uniforms allowed at Denbigh. Yasin Rehman of the Luton Council of Mosques, which supported the school during the first court challenge, said Miss Begum's legal fight was a personal issue which could now open up problems for all schools with a dress policy.

Dr Rehman told the Press Association: "I think the community is not going to make anything of this. It was an individual case, she was determined to go ahead so she could dress in a certain way. "She has won this battle and we are happy for her but there are certain reservations that this decision may lead to complications for schools." He added: "The school (Denbigh) has a uniform policy which is very satisfactory ... it serves the needs of all pupils, not just Muslims. "The school had a hijab (head-dress) policy and allowed a shalwar kameez type dress." He went on: "There is no prescribed Islamic dress code. People of Islam, like other religions, say that you should dress modestly. "The question is: how do you define that? "This will create a lot of complications. Where is the end to this? "There should be some thought given to how the uniform policies can be effective to cater for everyone.

"The way forward could be for some schools to scrap the uniform and let people dress the way they want to." Despite the problems the judgment could cause, Dr Rehman said it would be unwise to follow the French education system which bans all religious insignia from school. He said: "In this country we have certain values such as liberty and freedom. "Their intolerance becomes a breeding ground for extremists and terrorism."

Yasmin Qureshi, the Mayor of London's human rights adviser, said: "This is a landmark ruling for Muslims and people of all faiths. "As a city with such a diverse multicultural population, London has an interest in seeing such basic human rights upheld everywhere, not just in this ruling today but also in the rest of Europe. "It is essential institutions including schools respect the right of people to wear religious and traditional dress. I hope that schools throughout the country will take note of this case and ensure that the policies reflect this judgment."

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