Indian court upholds a ban on wearing hijab in class in the southern state of Karnataka, saying the Muslim headscarf is not an essential religious practice of Islam.
FILE - A student takes photographs of placards during a protest against banning Muslim girls from wearing the hijab in educational institutions in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. A court in the southern state on Tuesday, March 15, has upheld the ban on wearing hijab in schools and colleges, saying the Muslim headscarf is not an essential religious practice of Islam.
The high court in Karnataka state delivered the verdict after considering petitions filed by Muslim students challenging a government ban on hijabs that some schools and colleges have implemented in the last two months. The ban does not extend to other Indian states, but the court ruling could set a precedent for the rest of the country.
More schools in the state followed with similar bans and the state’s top court disallowed students from wearing hijab and any religious clothing pending a verdict. The ruling came at a time when violence and hate speech against Muslims have increased under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Hindu nationalist party, which also governs Karnataka state. Over the last few weeks, the issue has become a flashpoint for the battle over the rights of Muslims, who fear they are being shunted aside as a minority in India and see hijab bans as a worrying escalation of Hindu nationalism under Modi’s government.
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