Hijab ban disturbing mental health of Muslim girls, Indian court told

The hijab ban is creating a “mass hysteria” and disturbing the mental health of Muslim girls, a petitioner told a High Court in Indian southwestern state of Karnataka on Thursday. “As per preamble of [the] Constitution, guarding health is duty of the state,” submitted Vinod Kulkarni, one of the petitioners seeking permission for students to […]

The hijab ban is creating a “mass hysteria” and disturbing the mental health of Muslim girls, a petitioner told a High Court in Indian southwestern state of Karnataka on Thursday.

“As per preamble of [the] Constitution, guarding health is duty of the state,” submitted Vinod Kulkarni, one of the petitioners seeking permission for students to wear hijab in Indian educational institutions.

Students of the Government Women’s Pre-University College in Kundapur town of Udupi district have been protesting since last month after they were not allowed to attend classes for being dressed in hijab. Similar protests have also taken place across the state.

On February 5, the Karnataka government had passed an order banning clothes that “disturb equality, integrity and public order”.

On February 10, a three-judge bench had barred the students in Karnataka from wearing “religious clothes” in schools and colleges until further orders. Following the ban, several schools in Karnataka have stopped students from attending classes wearing hijab.

At Thursday’s hearing, Kulkarni sought an interim order to allow Muslim girls to wear hijab at least on Friday, considered to be an auspicious day in Islam.

Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said the court would consider his contention.

The petitioner said that the Qur’an, the holy book in Islam, mandated that Muslim women should wear hijab and not expose their body parts. “Banning hijab is tantamount to banning Qur’an,” he submitted.

The chief justice, however, told Kulkarni that the court would accept his submission only if he could show that hijab is mandated for Muslim women in the Qur’an.

The hearing will continue on Friday.

During a hearing on Wednesday, a lawyer for one of the petitioners seeking permission to wear hijab in Indian educational institutions had asked the court why the headscarf was being targeted when all religions have symbols.