Karnataka Hijab Row: Who Is Aaliya Assadi, The Muslim Student Who Is Fighting For Her Right To Wear Hijab
Women have time and again been told what to wear and what not to wear by society. As much as, we all hate it the fact is that society seems to want to dictate how, when, where and what we wear and how we exercise our fundamental rights. And while most women would rather go with the flow than against the flow and fight for their rights, Aaliya Assadi chose to do the latter. This Muslim student from the Government Pre-University College chose to fight for her right to wear the hijab to college. Aaliya happens to be one of the eight girls who were initially barred from entering the college in their hijabs. It was this case that eventually led to other colleges in the state banning hijabs on campus which in turn led to the Karnataka hijab row.
Who Is Aaliya Assadi?
Ever since her first year at the PU College last year in March, Aaliya Assadi has been fighting for the fundamental right to wear a hijab to her educational institute. As per the Hindustan Times report, in spite of several attempts made by her and her parents, the college management has continued to ‘discriminate’ ‘torture ‘ and ‘harass’ the students including Aaliya for wearing hijab. Speaking about the hijab row, Aaliya Assadi shared that there have been incidents where teachers have not only discriminated but also tried to pull the hijab off the heads of the students which even led to injuries in some cases. The Muslim student pointed out that the Karnataka hijab row did not begin suddenly. Even before the protest began, her parents met the principal, deputy commissioner, deputy director of public instructions and gave them letters seeking permission to wear hijab on campus but no one was willing to listen.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, another student who is also at the forefront of the protest in Karnataka hijab row, Almas AH shared that the teachers went as far as taunting the seniors and asking them if they bathe with hijabs on. On the other hand, Aaliya Assadi revealed that a local MLA from the area went as far as threatening the students who have been protesting for the past one and a half months for their right to wear hijab. The MLA allegedly told the students that if they ‘assert’ their religious right so will he. The Muslim student who wishes to become a wildlife photographer someday added that they feel unsafe due to the ongoing protest and the behaviour displayed by the teachers.
Karnataka Hijab Row
The Karnataka hijab row began after eight female students of a government college in the state were banned from wearing their headscarves on campus. The educational institute had made a rule banning all Muslim students from wearing hijabs to college so as to maintain ‘harmony’ and uniformity. Following the dress code announcement, trouble began to brew when these students refused to allow the college management to violate their fundamental right to practice their faith.
Also Read: Karnataka Hijab Row: High Court Directs That No Religious Garments Will Be Worn On College Campus Till The Matter Pending
Soon after the protest began, the college allowed the students to enter the college but seated them in a different classroom. It soon led to further protests after another group of students donned saffron scarves and began protesting against the educational institutes for permitting Muslim students to enter the campus wearing hijabs. A petition was filed in the High Court seeking redressal but after the court directed the students to avoid wearing religious outfits until the matter is resolved, an appeal was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the order.
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