Giving headteachers the power to ban pupils from wearing Muslim veils or other religious dress could have dangerous consequences, according to the chairman of Oxford's only Islamic school.

Hojjat Ramzy, chairman of the trustees at Iqra School, in Littlemore, says stripping Muslim girls of their veils could leave them "feeling naked" and even encourage Muslim families to keep their daughters at home. The Government has issued guidelines spelling out headteachers' rights to ban Muslim veils or other religious dress from the classroom.

Mr Ramzy said: "Everyone has the right to wear whatever religious dress they like. I do not know why the Government is interfering in these things.

"Headteachers should not be interfering with faith, it's not right. They will be interfering with the rights of the parents and the children. We are a multicultural society and Oxfordshire is a multicultural place. We should tolerate the wearing of the veil."

The new document drawn up by Education Secretary Alan Johnson states schools should consult parents, governors and the local community on uniform policy relating to religious dress.

It said, where possible, they should try to tolerate a wide range of religious and cultural items of clothing. But they may ban certain garments, such as the full-face veil (niqab), if it is felt that they impede safety, security or the ability to learn.

But Mr Ramzy said: "Stripping girls of their niqabs will leave them feeling naked. It can be damaging mentally. They have grown up with it, it is part of their faith.

"Guidelines like these could have further harmful consequences. This could encourage Muslim communities to keep their daughters at home and hide them away. We have to think of the humanitarian side of this debate."

The guidelines were drawn up after a 12-year-old girl lost a legal battle to wear a niqab to her Buckinghamshire school.

The Department for Education and Skills (DFES) says it is not ordering or advising headteachers to ban veils, but confirmed they had the ability to do so if they wished, so long as they carried out proper consultation.