An Indian court ruled on Tuesday that the headscarf ban on schools in the Indian state of Karnataka can remain in place. This is reported by international news agencies. The judges argue that the headscarf is not an essential religious expression within the Islamic faith.
In January, a public school in the coastal town of Udupi banned hijab-wearing students from entering. Schools elsewhere in Karnataka imposed a similar ban. The bans sparked protests among Muslim schoolchildren and students. They invoked the constitutional right to religious freedom and the right to education. Their protests were met with sometimes violent counter-demonstrations by students from Hindu backgrounds.
Read more about the ban: Headscarf ban in schools in India leads to fierce controversy far beyond the classroom
According to the Indian court, the state government may draw up clothing guidelines for schoolchildren and students that could subsequently lead to a ‘reasonable restriction on fundamental rights’. Schools in the state kept their doors closed pending the ruling, with protests by supporters and opponents still in mind in January and February. Large gatherings in Bangalore, the state capital, were also banned under the guise of public order and security.
While the ban ruling only applies in the state of Karnataka, it could affect other states. The headscarf ban is seen by activists as a worrying escalation of hatred of Islam among Hindu nationalists. Muslims make up 14 percent of the Indian population. They fear further curtailment of their religious freedom. Violence and hatred against Indian Muslims has increased since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party took office.