Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace laureate and women’s rights activist, on Tuesday expressed concern over the ongoing hijab controversy raging in Karnataka where Muslim girls wearing headscarves are being barred from attending classes.
Taking to Twitter, the education activist wrote: “College is forcing us to choose between studies and the hijab. Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying.”
“College is forcing us to choose between studies and the hijab”.
Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying. Objectification of women persists — for wearing less or more. Indian leaders must stop the marginalisation of Muslim women. https://t.co/UGfuLWAR8I
— Malala (@Malala) February 8, 2022
“Objectification of women persists — for wearing less or more,” Malala wrote, urging the Indian leaders to stop the “marginalisation of Muslim women”.
Earlier in the day, the Basavaraj Bommai-led government in Karnataka ordered the closure of schools for three days as protests spread across the state over the issue.
Campuses witnessed ‘conflict-like’ situations marked by stone-pelting, use of force by police and Muslim girls standing their ground for wearing the headscarves, prompting calls for peace and calm both by the government and the high court, that is hearing a plea from the students over their right to wear the hijab.
Bommai, who is in New Delhi, said, “I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony.”
Hindu mob chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ bullies Muslim hijabi girl
Earlier today, a video of a girl being heckled by over 100 male students wearing saffron scarves has went viral on social media.
The viral video shows the saffron-clad mob surrounding the girl and raising slogans ‘Jai Shri Ram’ when the Muslim girl named Muskan, wearing a hijab, enters her college. In response, the girl also raised the slogans ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’.
A more expanded and clean feed of the above episode. #KarnatakaHijabRow pic.twitter.com/TIieUQJUWN
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) February 8, 2022
