Hijab court debate rages

THE Karnataka government in India says it has not been proven that wearing a hijab is an essential religious requirement of Islam.

In a matter before the High Court, the state’s legal representative argued those pushing for the rights of Muslim female students to wear the hijab in class wanted to compel all Muslim women to cover their heads, not just those petitioning for the right to do so.

The matter went to court after protests erupted when female students refused to remove their head scarves as they had previously done before entering the classroom.

While a final legal decision is pending, the High Court’s interim order has forbidden the use of hijab, saffron shawls (worn by some Hindu males) and religious flags in class.

The lawyer for the petitioners previously argued the interim order went against freedom of religion and India’s constitution.

Some students pleaded for the right to wear hijab in the same colour as their school uniform.

The Indian media this week reported several students had boycotted their pre-university exams because of the hijab ban. It said the students from the Udupi Pre-University Girl’s College, who filed the first court petition against the hijab ban, also failed to arrive for their exams.

Meanwhile, the Congress of Muslim Ummah in South Africa has rallied supporters to participate in a peaceful pro-hijab protest at the Indian Consulate in Johannesburg on Friday.

Organiser Salman Khan said the congress comprised about 100 Muslim organisations mainly involved in health, social services and justice. They planned to hand over a memorandum to the consulate calling for tolerance.