Tag: Hijab row

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‘Yoghurt attack’ in Iran for not wearing hijab

Iranian officials said the incident is under investigation, and the male suspect has been arrested for a disturbance of order…reports Asian Lite News

Two women have been arrested in Iran after a man attacked them with yoghurt, apparently for not wearing the hijab at a store in the northeastern city of Shandiz, according to a video and report published by the Mizan News Agency, the state-run media for Iran’s judiciary, reported CNN.

Video of Thursday’s incident shows a man approaching one of the women who is unveiled and speaking to her before proceeding to grab a tub of yoghurt from the store and throwing it, hitting both women in the head.
The video shows a male staff member removing the suspect from the store. The two women were arrested after being issued an arrest warrant for failing to wear the hijab in public, according to Mizan News Agency. Iranian officials said the incident is under investigation, and the male suspect has been arrested for a disturbance of order, reported CNN.

Meanwhile, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that the hijab was the law in Iran. “The important matter is that today we have a legal mandate. The legal mandate makes it mandatory for everyone to follow the law,” said Raisi.

“If there are people who say that they do not share this belief of ours (the mandatory hijab), then this is a place for scientific and cultural centers as well as schools to discuss this and convince them,” Raisi added.

Iran’s Ministry of Interior said that the “hijab is an unquestionable religious necessity,” according to a tweet from the agency on Saturday.

Under Iran’s Islamic sharia law, imposed after the 1979 revolution, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures. Violators have faced public rebuke, fines or arrest.

Describing the veil as “one of the civilizational foundations of the Iranian nation” and “one of the practical principles of the Islamic Republic,” an Interior Ministry statement on Thursday said there would be no “retreat or tolerance” on the issue.

It urged citizens to confront unveiled women. Such directives have in past decades emboldened hardliners to attack women without impunity.

Iranians have taken to the streets nationwide in protest for several months against Iran’s mandatory hijab law, and political and social issues across the country, following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police in September.

Women have burned their headscarves and cut their hair, with some schoolgirls removing them in classrooms.

Those arrested for participating in anti-government demonstrations have faced various forms of abuse and torture, including electric shocks, controlled drowning, rape and mock executions. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Iranian, Saudi FMs to meet soon

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Hijab row not over yet in India

Ghaziabad police said that the incident took place yesterday and the students were pacified and sent back home….reports Asian Lite News

A video of few girl students protesting in Hijab in a Ghaziabad college has gone viral on social media.

The video is said to be of Modi Nagar’s Ginni Devi College.

According to sources, tablets were being distributed on the college premises. The students have alleged that they were not allowed to take the tablet in hijab.

Following this, they came out of the college premises and created a ruckus on road by protesting and shouting.

Ghaziabad police said that the incident took place yesterday and the students were pacified and sent back home.

Clarifying its stand on the issue, the college administration said that what the students were doing outside the college is none of their business.

“We were distributing tablets on the college premises. About 69 tablets were to be distributed. A few students didn’t wear uniform. They were asked to follow the dress code which irked them. We want them to wear uniform inside the college, what they are doing outside the premises, is not our concern,” said college administration.

ALSO READ: K’taka students challenge hijab ban, leave exam hall

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It’s every girl’s own choice: Miss Universe on Hijab row

Pic credits Pallav Paliwal

The hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district alleged that they had been barred from attending classes…reports Asian Lite News

Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu shared her views on the ongoing Hijab controversy during an event in Punjab on Wednesday.

When asked about her opinions on the ongoing hijab controversy, the 22-year-old said, “It’s every girl’s own choice, so no one has the right to speak about how the girls of India should live, and how to dress.”

“Those who are doing politics on the issue, are wrong,” she added.

Pic credits Pallav Paliwal

Miss Universe 2021 also said, “Even if she is getting dominated by someone, she needs to come and speak. Let her live the way she wants to live. We are women of different cultures and we need to respect each other.”

The hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021, making her the third entrant from India to bag the prestigious title after 21 years. (ANI)

ALSO READ: AIMPLB moves SC against hijab verdict

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No urgent hearing on hijab in Supreme Court

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said this has nothing to do with the exams. The Chief Justice told Kamat not to sensationalise the matter….reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to give any specific date to hear a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order, which dismissed all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms.

Senior advocate Devadutt Kamat mentioned one of the cases on behalf of a petitioner, a Muslim girl student, and sought urgent listing of the matter. Kamat insisted that exams were approaching and urged the court for an urgent hearing on the matter.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said this has nothing to do with the exams. The Chief Justice told Kamat not to sensationalise the matter.

Ramana
At a ceremony held today (April 24, 2021) at 1100 hrs in the Ashoka Hall, Rashtrapati

Kamat contended that the girl students were not being allowed to enter the schools, and they will lose one year. However, the bench moved on to the next item.

On March 16, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order, which held that wearing of hijab by the Muslim women does not form a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.

Then, senior advocate Sanjay Hedge, representing the petitioners, mentioned the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana. Hedge said there was urgency in the matter, as several girls have to appear in exams. The bench said others have also mentioned and the court will look into the matter.

Hedge had insisted that the exams are starting and there was urgency in the matter.

The bench said it needed time and it would post the matter for hearing. After brief submissions, the bench said the court may list it after Holi vacations. “Give us time, we’ll post the matter,” said the bench.

The plea filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed and Rahamathullah Kothwal said the high court order creates an unreasonable classification between the Muslim and the non-Muslim female students, and thereby is in straight violation of the concept of secularism which forms the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. The petitioners are Mohamed Arif Jameel and others.



The plea said: “The impugned order is also in sheer violation of the Article 14, 15, 19, 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution and also violates the core principles of the International Conventions that India is a signatory to.”

It further added, “Being aggrieved by the impugned Government Order, as it is in violation of Indian constitution, the petitioner had approached the Hon’ble High Court by way of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition challenging the validity of the same.

“The Hon’ble High Court vide the impugned order had sought to curtail the fundamental right of Muslim student-women by upholding the impugned Government Order which bars Muslim women from wearing the hijab and pursue their education. It is hereby submitted that the right to wear hijab is an ‘essential religious practice’ and falls within the ambit of the right of expression guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a), the right to privacy and also the Freedom of Conscience under Article 25 of the Constitution. The same cannot be infringed upon without a valid ‘law’.”

Another plea, filed by two Muslim students, Manan and Niba Naaz, through advocate Anas Tanwir, said: “The petitioners most humbly submit that the High Court has erred in creating a dichotomy of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience wherein the court has inferred that those who follow a religion cannot have the right to conscience.”

ALSO READ: Pro-Hijab graffiti surfaces in Karnataka

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Pro-Hijab graffiti surfaces in Karnataka

The police department has beefed security in Malpe in the wake of the incident, reports Asian Lite News

A tense situation prevailed on Friday in the coastal town of Malpe in Karnataka’s Udupi district after graffiti against the hijab verdict surfaced on the wall of a building.

The police department has beefed security in Malpe in the wake of the incident.

The graffiti on the wall of the unauthorised building in Malpe Bailakere locality reads “hijab is our right” and “hijab movement”.

As soon as the news of the graffiti came to light, hundreds of Hindu activists gathered on the spot on Thursday evening.

The activits condemned the act for questioning the judgement of the special bench of the Karnataka High Court, which had dismissed the petitions demanding the right of hijab in the classrooms.

The petitioners have approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order.

Meanwhile, Muslim organisations had given a state-wide bundh call against the verdict on hijab on Thursday.

ALSO READ: SC seeks time to hear hijab appeal

As hundreds of Hindu activists gathered near the building, the local Malpe police rushed to the spot.

Police Inspector Sharan Basava Patil spoke to the agitators who demanded the arrest of miscreants who questioned the high court judgment.

The hijab row which started as the protest by six students of Pre-University Girl’s College in Udupi has turned into a major crisis and it is being discussed at the international levels.

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India News

Muslim bodies call for bandh

CFI office-bearers said that the high court verdict is against individual and religious rights…reports Asian Lite News

Muslim organisations in Karnataka have given a call for a ‘bandh’ in the state on Thursday (March 17) opposing the verdict of the Karnataka High Court on the hijab row.

The high court had on Tuesday dismissed all the petitions seeking direction to the government for allowing hijab inside classrooms. The court had also stated that wearing hijab is not an essential part of Islam.

The Amir-E-Shariat of Karnataka, Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Rashadi, on Wednesday gave a call for a state-wide bandh on Thursday, which has been supported by hundreds of organisations across the southern state.

“Expressing our anger against the sad order of the Karnataka High Court regarding hijab, a state-wide bandh will be observed on Thursday,” Rashadi stated, as he appealed to the entire Muslim community to support the bandh between 6 am and 6 pm on Thursday.

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the Campus Front of India (CFI) have also supported the bandh call. Both the organisations maintained that the high court verdict is against the constitutional rights of an individual.

CFI office-bearers said that the high court verdict is against individual and religious rights.

Meanwhile, a group of Muslim women expressed their strong resentment against the Karnataka High Court’s judgement in which the court upheld the restriction on wearing Hijab in classrooms and educational institutions in the state.

“The Karnataka High Court said that wearing the Hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam and is not, therefore, protected under by the right to freedom of religion guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution. This was not even the question,” said social activist Khalida Parveen while addressing a press conference in the national capital.

Earlier, a Karnataka High Court’s special bench dismissed all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms. The HC also stated that “wearing of hijab is not an essential part of Islam. Prescription of uniform is constitutional and students can’t object to it.”

Other women speakers said that they are “deeply distressed by this judgment” and believe that not only is it setting a bad precedent in constitutional law, but also that it enables outright discrimination against Muslim women in public institutions in Karnataka.

“It creates an unsafe atmosphere overall for hijab wearing women, rendering them vulnerable in a time of increased mob violence and repression,” they said.

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‘Hijab order is discriminatory’

All India Muslim Personal Law Board to hold a meeting to discuss the way forward on the issue, reports Asian Lite News

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani has expressed ‘regret and disappointment’ on the Karnataka High Court order upholding the ban on hijab in educational institutions.

The cleric told reporters that the board will be holding an online meeting soon to discuss the way forward on the issue apart from tabling the matter in an offline meeting to be held at the end of March.

AIMPLB has previously expressed intent to move SC in the matter.

Rahmani called Tuesday’s order a ‘discriminatory one towards Muslims’, making comparisons with certain governments altering aviation laws to appease a community and governments allowing some groups and communities to use their religious symbols.

He also refuted the claim that hijab is not essential to Islam and said banning it is intrusion in constitutional rights of Muslim citizens.

“Islam and Shariat have made certain things farz (duty) and wajib (obligatory) on Muslims and it is lazim (pre-requisite) that they be followed. Hijab is one such obligation which is a pre-requisite. If certain Muslims in their ignorance and laziness do not perform namaz or roza, they cannot be eliminated from Islam but they do commit a sin. Similarly, if certain Muslims don’t follow the hijab, it does not make the act non-essential to Islam,” he explained.

He further said: “It is the constitutional right of every individual to wear what he deems fit. There are religions which use religious symbols and certain governments go all out to bear expenses and alerting aviation laws for their display.”

In that context, the order is discriminatory. “Schools have the right to decide upon a uniform but it has come to our notice that the case that went in court was not related to schools but was for colleges, where the coercion of uniforms cannot be made,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has also said that it ‘disagreed’ with the decision of the Karnataka High Court regarding the hijab ban in educational institutions.

It urged Muslim societies and NGOs to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict.

Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, the vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband, said: “Not just Muslims but all religions have freedom in India. In a democratic setup, no government or government-recognised organisation should make any law that is against the spirit of the Constitution. No such code of conduct should be enforced that is against any religion.”

ALSO READ-Hijab ban stays, says K’taka High Court

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Hijab verdict: Karnataka on alert

The police have beefed up security and everyone should accept the verdict. If anyone takes law and order into their hands they will be dealt with sternly, warned K’taka CM…reports Asian Lite News

After the Karnataka High Court dismissed petitions by Muslim girls seeking permission to wear hijab in educational institutions, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that stern action will be initiated against those who disturb peace in the state.

Upholding the government order, the court has stated that hijab is not an essential part of Islam. “This is the question of our children and it is also the question of their future ” he said.

There is nothing more important than education for the children. The judgment of three-judge bench must be followed by all. When the verdict is implemented, the people must cooperate with the authorities, he said.

“I appeal to all parents, community leaders to abide by the court orders and allow children to get education. It should be seen to it that no one remains outside and students must now focus on building their future,” he explained.

The police have beefed up security and everyone should accept the verdict. If anyone takes law and order into their hands they will be dealt with sternly, he warned. The High Court has settled the matter now, he said.

A special bench of the Karnataka High Court constituted to look into the hijab issue dismissed all the petitions this morning and upheld the rights of the government to prescribe the uniforms for schools and colleges.

ALSO READ: Hijab ban stays, says K’taka High Court

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Hijab ban stays, says K’taka High Court

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February…reports Asian Lite News

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5.

The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry.

After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka.

As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decides on the issue. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges.

The order stated that in case a uniform is not prescribed by management committees, then students should wear dresses that go well with the idea of equality and unity, and does not disturb the social order.

A batch of petitions was filed against the government’s rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions.

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi heard the petitions challenging the government rule on dress code.

On February 10, the high court issued an interim order stating that said students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issues the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case were concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgement. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Hijab row: Bengaluru Police extend prohibitory orders till March 22

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Hijab row: Bengaluru Police extend prohibitory orders till March 22

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant on Monday issued prohibitory orders in and around schools and colleges in the city till March 22…reports Asian Lite News



The order says that any gathering, agitation or protest of any type within the 200 metre area of schools, PU colleges, degree colleges or other similar education institutions in Bengaluru city has been extended for another two weeks.

Noting that in certain parts of the state, in the last few weeks, protests and agitations have been held in connection with the strict enforcement of uniform rules at schools and colleges, he said that since at many places, the protests have disturbed public peace and order, it is considered very essential to initiate proper security measures to maintain public peace and order in Bengaluru city.

The issue is still alive and possibility of holding protests for and against over the issue cannot be ruled out and hence the order has been issued, the Commissioner of Police said.

ALSO READ: Hijab petitioner slams college authorities for ‘sowing seeds of hatred’

Hijab row has surfaced in colleges of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shivamogga districts. Girl students have objected to college authorities’ decision to turn them away from attending exams for wearing hijab.

The hijab row started as a small protest in the Udupi Government Girl’s Pre-University College by six girls has turned out be a major crisis in the state.

Presently, the High Court has completed hearing of arguments and reserved its verdict.