Hijab Ban: SIO calls Karnataka HC’s verdict ‘unfortunate’; to challenge in Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) has called the Karnataka High Court’s verdict on hijab ban as “unfortunate” and determined to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. The Karnataka HC today upheld the state government’s order banning hijab in schools, colleges and dismissed all writ petitions filed by Muslim girl students seeking to wear hijab in educational institutions.

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“We don't believe that it is the job of courts to interpret what is essential or non-essential about any faith. We stand with all Muslim women students who are aggrieved by the Government Order that has been upheld by the court. We are currently seeking legal opinion on possible remedies,” said Mohammad Salman Ahmad, National President, Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO).

Ahmad pointed out a few issues related to Karnataka High Court’s verdict. The judgment doesn’t say that hijab will be banned in all campuses, rather it means that those colleges where the college development committee (CDC) has prescribed a uniform and hijab is not allowed, only in those colleges students will not be able to wear a hijab, he said.

SIO on Hijab Verdict

The SIO leader said that using this verdict as an excuse to harass school students or create unrest in colleges will not be right and SIO will not accept it.

Ahmad went on to say that it’s not the court’s job to decide what is essential or non-essential in any faith or community. The real question was that a uniform being prescribed for the people of a particular faith or community should be inclusive and not discriminatory and exclusionary.

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The third important issue is that the college development committees can make the prescribed uniforms in colleges as inclusive as people to help muslim girl students continue their studies, said Ahmad.

The SIO leader said that despite Karnataka High Court’s verdict, the organization extends the same support to such students.

Lastly, Mohammad Salman Ahmad said that educational development forms a major part of social development and country’s progress and such verdicts can set various students away from education which is not right, thus, there is a need to fight the verdict on legal as well as social and political level.