Bengaluru: Karnataka State General Secretary of the Popular Front of India (PFI), Nasir Pasha on Sunday January 16 has alleged that colleges in the State were creating unnecessary controversy over the hijab (headscarf) issue, violating on Muslims’ religious freedom.
“Some colleges are creating unnecessary controversies around the topic of headscarves and violating the fundamental, religious freedom of Muslims,” said Nasir Pasha, in response to the Hijab controversies that have emerged in various colleges across the State.
The leader said that six Muslim students from Udupi’s Government PU College were denied entry into classrooms and forced to sit outside because they wore headscarves.
“As a result of this, a few students from Pompei College in Aikala, Mangaluru, came to college wearing saffron shawls and demanded that headscarves be banned,” he claimed.
He also said that a similar controversy happened at the Government First Class College at Koppa, Chikkamagaluru. “Dress codes are only mandatory up to SSLC level. When there is no such thing as an obligatory dress code in PU or Degree colleges, claiming that headscarves are not permitted is a unrefined argument,” he added.
Pasha went on to say that, “The college’s principal is also acting irrationally by refusing to allow students wearing headscarves into the classrooms. Notably, Muslim college students have been attending classes while adhering to the existing college-level clothing policy.”
“Girl students have complete freedom in choosing and wearing modest attire. It is impossible to achieve equality through our clothing choices. Rather than causing controversy over headscarves as a result of internalised prejudice, it is necessary in this day and age to focus on offering value-based, high-quality education,” he expressed.