Supreme Court Must Stay Karnataka HC Hijab Verdict -Several Women’s Organisations and Concerned Individuals March 27, 2022 https://janataweekly.org/supreme-court-must-stay-karnataka-hc-hijab-verdict/
The Karnataka High Court in its order has held that wearing of hijab is not essential to the practice of Islam; that College Development Committees (CDCs) have a right to prescribe a uniform; and that Muslim girls must comply with whatever uniform is prescribed by their college.
we ( women's organisations) appeal to all CDCs in Karnataka to allow girls and women to wear hijabs along with uniforms just as Sikh boys and men can wear turbans, and Hindus can wear bindis, tilaks, threads, sindoor etc.*
not a single college in Karnataka originally had any rule banning the wearing of hijab; in fact one college rule book actually specified that students could wear hijabs conforming to the colour of the uniform. So it was not hijab wearing girls who defied the prescribed uniforms. It was Hindu-supremacist groups that disrupted colleges, forcing them to amend the rules to selectively prohibit hijabs. This was a chance for the Karnataka HC to address bullying in schools and colleges and both the institutions; but failing to do so, has endangered many people from minority communities and identities who may look different or be different from the most.
Comment on WHATSAPP:
JD: some women who wear the hijab may consider it an essential part of their religion, others may be wearing it because that it is the way they can go out an get an education given community situation, and still others may wear it because they feel the need to identify with their community. Each of these women cannot be dictated by the State or Law, at least not if the impact of its decision would be to prevent them from getting an education in government schools. It is precisely the vulnerability of such women/girls that needs a "accomodative" stance, when deciding what constitute "uniform", or distraction or indiscipline..
AA --There is a category. Those women who consider themselves Muslim, but will not wear hijab because they do not consider it an essential part of Islam, and resent being bullied. Feminists must also take their rights into account and be supportive .
