NEW DELHI:
Hiba Sheikh, pursuing graduation in India’s southern province of Karnatakacould not appear in the practical sessions of her annual exams last month,as the college authorities refused to allow students to wear hijab orheadscarf.
“My internal exams were on March 3 … The college authorities are saying toremove the hijab and then come to college. But I am not okay with it,” shetold *Anadolu Agency*.
She said that taking cover of the Karnataka High court order pronounced onMarch 15 that upheld the ban on wearing hijab in classrooms, collegeauthorities have been preventing Muslim girls to enter the premises withheadscarves.
The move is affecting the education of Muslim girls across the state, whichis known as India’s science capital, because of hosting numerousinstitutions related to information technology, electronics, and space.
India’s national news agency Press Trust of India has reported that 40Muslim girl students from the Udupi district of Karnataka alone have stayedaway from appearing for the pre-university exams.
“I am worried about my education. Exams are going on and I don’t know whatto do. It is worrying every student because it is happening at the end ofthe academic year. Not sitting in exams means loss of one year,” saidSheikh.
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The court had ruled that “wearing of hijab by Muslim women doesn’t form apart of essential religious practice in the Islamic faith.” The verdict hadcome following petitions filed by Muslim women who were being disallowed toattend classes because of their hijab.
The issue surfaced when hijab-clad Muslim students were barred fromentering their classrooms at a government college in Udupi district inKarnataka in January. Subsequently, the issue spread to other institutionsin Karnataka.
Sheikh is not alone. Several hijab-wearing students wearing told *AnadoluAgency* that college authorities were not allowing them to sit in exams.
Muskan stays away from exam
Speaking to *Anadolu Agency*, Ramzaan Khan, father of Muskaan Khan who hasbecome a symbol of resistance to protect the right to wear hijab, said thather daughter did not appear in the annual exams. Anadolu Agency
