Muslim organisations in the State have reacted sharply to the Karnataka High Court order that upheld a government ban on hijab (headscarf) in classrooms saying it does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith.
The Samastha Kerala Sunni Students’ Federation, the students’ wing of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, said on Tuesday that the order violated Constitutional rights. Hijab is not the name of any particular dress.
Whichever cloth that covers body parts except the face and front arm can be termed a hijab, said SKSSF president Panakkad Syed Hameedali Shihab Thangal and general secretary Rasheed Faizi Vellayikode. Thus, the Karnataka High Court order is a violation of women’s Constitutional rights and a breach of “God’s laws”.
Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, Sunni leader, termed the order unfortunate and painful, pointing out that there had been no dispute among Islamic experts on the mandatory nature of the hijab for Muslims. The court order was against Islamic tenets. The Musliyar expressed the hope that a more fair order would come from the higher court.
M.I. Abdul Azeez, Amir, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Kerala, said that such orders would erode people’s belief in the judicial system and impact the country’s future. He pointed out that when the State infringes upon the rights of citizens, the courts were supposed to protect them.
Popular Front of India State general secretary A. Abdul Sathar said that the court order should be viewed against the backdrop of Hindutva fascist forces’ attempt to sideline the minorities and convert them to second class citizens.
Attempts were on to eliminate their culture and symbols by infringing upon their beliefs, he added. The Markazudawa faction of the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen has also protested against the court order.
