The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Pakistan on Wednesday summoned Indian Charge d’ Affaires Suresh Kumar to convey the Government of Pakistan’s grave concern and condemnation of the “deeply reprehensible act of banning Muslim students from wearing hijab (headscarves) in Karnataka.”
According to a statement issued by MoFA, the Charge d’ Affaires was urged to convey Pakistan’s “extreme concern” to the Government of India over the anti-hijab campaign “being spearheaded by RSS-BJP combine” in Karnataka, which is part of its “larger exclusionist and majoritarian agenda aimed at dehumanizing and demonizing Muslim women”.
The Indian diplomat was further told that “religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, and discrimination against Muslims continue unabated even after almost two years of the horrific Delhi riots which claimed the lives of 50 innocent Muslims in February 2020”.
The Pakistan government is also alarmed at the deafening silence of the BJP and the absence of discernable action against Hindutva proponents openly calling for the genocide of Muslims at the recently held Dharam Sansad in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, it said.
It was also emphasized that the Indian government must fulfill its responsibility to take action against the perpetrators of harassment against women in Karnataka and take adequate measures to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of Muslim women.
He was further urged to impress upon the Indian government to take immediate action against perpetrators and abettors of anti-Muslim violence in the Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Gurugram, and Uttarakhand and bring justice to the victims of the Delhi Riots, the statement said.
Pakistan also called upon the international community, including the United Nations (UN) and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), especially their human rights machinery, to take cognisance of the worrying level of Islamophobia in India and prevail upon Indian authorities to prevent systematic human rights violations against minorities in the country, it added.
Pertinently, in a viral video shared on February 8, a Muslim student with a hijab was seen arriving at her college on a scooter. As she walked towards her class after parking her scooter, a group of Hindutva members began to mock her hijab by chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram.’
However, the student stopped to shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ to counter the slogans raised by the mob against Muslims and Hijab.
The video was shared by journalist Imran Khan, who wrote, “#KarnatakaHijabRow when a #hijabi student arrives at PES college in #Mandya. She gets heckled by students wearing #saffronshawls chanting #JaiSriRam. She raises her hand says “#AllahuAkbar befor being escorted by college staff. Video courtesy: Digvijaya News. #Karnataka.”
The student in the video is now being hailed as brave. Journalist Rifat Jawaid tweeted, “Very brave girl indeed. You need guts to take on these terrorists. Hope she remains focused to study and stay away from politics.”
One Twitter user wrote, “My salute this girl she is brave a gladiator.” Another commented, “Harassing a woman is not neither Hinduism nor Nationalism or Patriotism… & saffron don’t Represent Hinduism or Nationalism or Patriotism.”
The social media users have praised the student for standing against the wrong describing her as the “Iron Lady” and the “Icon Lady of Hijab”.
Earlier, a ban was imposed on Muslim students for wearing hijab in the Bhandarkar’s Arts and Science Degree College in Kundapur, which is a coastal town in Karnataka’s Udupi region.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court has begun hearing the plea against a hijab ban in several junior colleges in parts of the state.
Protests erupted in Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Udupi on Tuesday as groups of students with saffron scarfs and those wearing hijabs clashed with each other.
The hijab row, which began in a Udupi college, has spread to several educational institutions across Karnataka, with several students turning up for classes wearing saffron shawls and headgears as a form of protest.
Amid the raging row, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has asked students in junior colleges to adhere to the state government’s rules regarding uniforms until the issue over wearing headscarves in classes is addressed by the High Court.
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