‘Courts can’t dictate citizens to wear against their conscience and faith,’ says Jamaat-e-Islami Hind President over Karnataka HC order on Hijab

New Delhi, 17 March 2022: Disagreeing with the Karnataka High Court’s order on Hijab row, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has said that it is not the job of the courts to decide about essential religious practices of any religion.

In a statement today, JIH President Syed Sadatullah Husaini said that we disagreed with the judgment of the High Court. He hoped that the Supreme Court will bring the required essential correction into this ruling and will not allow a wrong precedence to be set. The JIH President said, “we are highly concerned about the mischievous reporting in certain sections of the media giving a wrong impression that the court has put some kind of ban on Hijab. The court order has nothing to do with the issue of wearing or not wearing hijab in social and private life. It is limited to the validity of Government Order giving power to the Management of the public funded schools to prescribe dress code. Trying to create any rift or mistrust in the citizens by such misinterpretation of court judgements is not good.”

Mr. Husaini said that JIH is not against the practice of uniform in education institutions. However, he demanded that public funded schools, while deciding the dress code, should maintain the neutrality and respect for religious and cultural practices of the concerned students and dress code should accommodate their religious principles, cultural leaning and the voices of their conscience.

Mr. Husaini said, “we are highly concerned that this order may exclude Muslim women from education and it goes against the stated policy of the government of including all communities and social groups in the path of progress and development. Education is a crucial national priority and its cause demands a conducive atmosphere where everyone could pursue his or her education without being forced to make any compromise on his faith or conscience.”