India's hijab ban furthers religious divide
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An Indian Muslim student says she had to choose between her religious views and education.
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Students protest in New Delhi against the Hijab ban on February 8 (AP)
A.H. Almas said she had no option when it came to choosing between her religious views and her education.
In December, the Women's Pre-University College in Udupi India barred her and other classmates from attending because they were wearing the hijab.
The girls have been protesting since and told AFP they had to choose between their religion and their education, adding, "What kind of equality is this?"
Hindu adolescents in Udupi have gathered in saffron-colored shawls representing their own religion.
Footage has gone viral of a girl in hijab being followed and harassed by Hindu men shouting "Jai Shri Ram" (Hail Lord Ram) in the Karnataka town of Mandya.
Protests have erupted in several key cities in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, as well as in Pakistan, which summoned an Indian envoy to protest.
Malala Yousafzai, Pakistan's Nobel laureate winner, articulated her support of the protests.
Almas revealed that when the school used to have Hindu prayers, Muslim students never objected.
"Our friends who we used to gossip and have lunch together with are now opposing us," she said.
"Before this, there was no Hindu/Muslim between us, but now everything has become different."
The ban has only heightened Muslim's anxiety in India considering fears of increased persecution since Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi was elected. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accused of weakening India's secular and democratic underpinnings and instilling fear and intimidation in minorities.
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"It was just a students' issue and they have made it communal," said Aliya Sadiq, one of the girls banned for wearing hijab.
Robbing the future of India
The state of Karnataka is governed by Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, and numerous senior members have backed the ban, which has been criticized by other political leaders.
"By letting students' hijab come in the way of their education, we are robbing the future of the daughters of India," Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress party tweeted last week.
On Tuesday, the state's highest court will hear petitions and decide whether to overturn the bans.
The state of Karnataka has witnessed an increase in Hindu nationalist activity over the last several years, with incidents targeting the state's Muslim minorities.
Udupi's BJP MP Raghupathi Bhat defended the school's decision, saying that in the classroom, all are equal. He claims that "in education, don't bring religious matters."
