Kerala: Hijab verdict unfortunate, say Muslim organizations

KOZHIKODE: Various Muslim organizations have termed the verdict of the Karnataka high court upholding the restrictions on wearing hijab in educational institutions in the state as unfortunate and against the fundamental right of freedom of religion.
The court dismissed the plea by a section of Muslim students seeking permission to wear the hijab inside classrooms after declaring it was not part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith
IUML national organizing secretary E T Mohammed Basheer MP said that in the wake of unfortunate verdict to uphold hijab ban, the Supreme Court should effectively intervene to protect and uphold the constitutional right to freedom of religion. He said IUML MPs will give notice for an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha on the issue on Wednesday. IUML state general secretary PMA Salam also said that the verdict was unfortunate.
"People are looking at the judiciary with much hope. But verdicts like these would obviously cause pain to people. Rather than imposing curbs on a religious practice, the hijab ban is an assault against individual freedom. Shouldn't individuals be granted at least the right to choose what they should wear? In that sense, the hijab ban is an infringement on their fundamental right," he said.
Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar too said that the verdict was painful and unfortunate. "With all the respects to the court, I have to tell that the verdict is against Muslim religious beliefs and violates the fundamental rights of a citizen as a believer. I hope that there will be a just verdict from the higher court," he said while inaugurating the Imam conference held at Karanthur Markaz.
Kanthapuram said the remarks by the court that hijab was not essential to Islam was against Islamic religious doctrines. Samastha Kerala Jem Iyyathul Ulema president Syed Mohammed Jiffri Muthukoya Thangal said that the HC decision was regrettable. "The verdict is against Islamic beliefs...The verdict has would cause pain to believers," Jiffri Thangal said.
Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen Markazudawa said the high court's decision was discriminatory and infringing fundamental rights.
"As per Quran (verse 24/31) it is compulsory for Muslim women to cover their heads and as such the pronouncement by the court that hijab is not essential to religion is not acceptable to believers. As the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to live as per their principles of Quran, covering their heads is a fundamental right for Muslim women and banning that is against the Constitution," KNM state secretariat said in a statement.