School uniform is important, but not more than school education

What is likely to happen if, after all the protests and legal battles, Muslim women in Karnataka are not allowed to wear the hijab in educational institutions? Will they give up their veils, put coconut oil in their hair, tie red ribbons at the ends of their braids and happily assimilate into New India? Unlikely. There is every possibility that if and when the hijab is banned, many of these women will find fewer reasons to leave their homes in Muslim ghettos where access to a fast-changing modern world is often limited. Crucially, despite coming from religious backgrounds, the women and their families chose an education which was not religious. This is more important than the shape and size of their head covering. There is much to be said about the importance of a school uniform. Also, a strong case can be made out against the practice of veiling and how it affects the status of women in society. But surely, a school uniform is not as important as a modern, secular school education the girls in Karnataka are asking for. Behind the veil, a delicate balance In fact, the hijab may play a key role in the women finding that delicate balance between stern religious practice and their desire for a modern education. The hijab allows them to remain in two distinctly different worlds simultaneously – the world of religion and the world of a secular education. Take away the hijab and these girls lose that balance, tilting their lives firmly in favour of religion. Two top social scientists said exactly this in their paper, ‘Behind the veil: The strategic use of religious garb’, published in 2016. Sociologists Ozan Aksoy and Diego Gambetta looked at three different datasets from Turkey, Belgium and also the Pew World Muslims Survey of 2011-12 which looked at veiling in 25 Muslim countries. Although the two scholars did not study Indian Muslim women, the findings can provide clues to how we should approach the issue. They say that the veil is seen with hostility in many Western countries with the massive influx of Muslim migrants in the last few years, coupled with the rise of violent Islamic groups. In fact their results suggest that “in Europe veiling could be a sign of integration among the highly religious as they have more native friends and live in areas dominated by natives; highly religious women tend to veil more, perhaps to keep their pious reputation while being integrated.” Women’s religion, education, employment matrix The authors add that classical sociological theories predict that when education increases, religiosity dips – the belief being that a modern education makes you more sceptical of religious explanations of how the world works. And yet, this secularising influence can’t be universal. Some women will remain religious. Education and employment could bring them in contact with more people outside their family. “This increased ‘risk and temptation’ in the environment could induce women who care about their reputation for piety in their community, to veil or to use stricter types of veiling.” Their motivations could be twofold – to protect their modesty and also signal to their family and community that they have not lost their piety despite interacting with the outside world. These women are veiling, not just because they are religious, but also because it allows them to access the world beyond their religion without losing the trust of their families and community. There is also evidence from other scholars who have shown with anthropological studies and interviews that, “In addition to complying with religious obligations the veil would be a means for women to mitigate community gossip and parental control, and to integrate in the economic and daily life outside their families while preserving their pious reputation.” Just look at the illiteracy levels It is disappointing that we are telling Muslim women they can’t sit in classrooms with their heads covered at a time when literacy and education among Muslims is abysmally low. The 2011 Census says that 42.7% Muslims are illiterate, the highest in the country. Also, just 2.75% are graduates or have studied further. Of these, just 36.65% are women. The numbers are much higher for most other communities. Given these numbers, educational institutions should be more worried about how they can affect the minds and lives of these women, rather than the garment they cover their heads with. The hijab-wearing Muslim women of Karnataka are pleading to be allowed to be armed with a modern education so that they can have more say in their own future. Let’s not steal their future over how they dress.