‘Hijab ban in Indian state affects education of Muslim girls’

NEW DELHI – Hiba Sheikh is an Indian student from the Karnataka state who is pursuing her graduation degree. She could not appear in the practical sessions of her annual exams last month, as the college authorities refused to allow students to wear hijab or headscarf.

“My internal exams were on March 3 … The college authorities are saying to remove the hijab and then come to college. But I am not okay with it,” she said

She added that college authorities have actively been preventing Muslim girls from entering the premises, using the High court order pronounced on March 15 that upheld the ban on wearing hijab in classrooms.

The move is affecting the education of Muslim girls across the state, which is known as India’s science capital, because of hosting numerous institutions related to information technology, electronics, and space.

The Press Trust of India has reported that 40 Muslim girl students from the Udupi district of Karnataka alone have been prevented from appearing for the pre-university exams.

“I am worried about my education. Exams are going on and I don’t know what to do. It is worrying every student because it is happening at the end of the academic year. Not sitting in exams means loss of one year,” said Sheikh.

The court had ruled that “wearing of hijab by Muslim women doesn’t form a part of essential religious practice in the Islamic faith.” The verdict had come following petitions filed by Muslim women who were being disallowed to attend classes because of their hijab.

The issue surfaced when hijab-clad Muslim students were barred from entering their classrooms at a government college in Udupi district in Karnataka in January. Subsequently, the issue spread to other institutions in Karnataka.

Ramzaan Khan, father of Muskaan Khan who has become a symbol of resistance to protect the right to wear hijab, said that his daughter did not appear in the annual exams.

“I met the college administration a couple of times and requested to allow her to sit in the exam wearing a hijab. Our request was not entertained and there was no other option for my daughter but to skip the exam,” said Khan

In February, a video had been widely circulated on social media showed Muskan- a college girl in a headscarf being harassed by a mob of men with saffron shawls hurling Hindu slogans at her.

“She (Muskan) is feeling bad about it because the college didn’t agree to our request about writing the exam in a hijab,” said Khan, lamenting that his daughter lost a year of her education.

Activists say the hijab ban by the court had adversely affected the educational pursuits of Muslim girls in the region.

India Today has reported that seven teachers in the state’s Gadag district were suspended for allowing students to wear the hijab as they appeared for the 10th-grade examination.

Given that education is the only hope of survival in today’s time, these decisions by Indian courts are a reflection of Hindu majoritarianism.

The only hope is left with the Supreme Court, where students and Muslim groups have challenged the Karnataka High Court verdict.

The BJP which is governing the state, however, says the students should follow the court orders.

“No one can question the High Court order. The students should follow it … by not appearing in the exams, it means they (students) are not interested in their education,” Yashpal Suvarna, a local leader of the BJP said.