In the Karnataka Hijab controversy, the High Court on Tuesday dismissed the petitions challenging the ban on hijab in educational institutions. The court said in its decision that wearing the hijab is not a compulsory religious practice of Islam. Islamic scholar Maulana Ali Qadri has reacted to this. He said that Muslim women will have to cover their face and body while going out. This is the order of the Quran.
During a show on the news channel, Qadri said, “We respect the High Court. Apart from being an Indian, I am a Muslim. As an Indian, I consider the Constitution above all else and as a Muslim, I consider every word of the Quran to be the purpose of my life. It is my honor to follow this. In the Qur’an, Allah Ta’ala has openly said that tell the women that whenever they go out, cover their face with their body.
Maulana Qadri further said, “I do not know in what light the High Court has given this decision, but it is a decision of the Qur’an that whenever the Muslim Khawateen comes out, his face and body have to be covered. This is a Quranic ruling. This is the order of Allah.” A three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court had started day-to-day hearing on the matter on February 10 and had reserved the verdict on February 25. The hijab controversy started in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi barred six hijab-wearing girls from classing.
The girls staged a protest outside the college for not getting admission in the class. Then Hindu boys from several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well and there were protests and agitations at many places in Karnataka. The High Court order states that if the dress is not prescribed by the management committees, then the students should wear such clothes which match the idea of equality and unity and should not disturb the social order.
A bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khaji of the Karnataka High Court heard the petitions challenging the government rule on dress code. On February 10, the High Court had issued an interim order asking girl students not to wear any religious dress in classes until the court issues a final order.