Mob Attacked Brother: Hijab Case Petitioner

FILE PHOTO: Muslim students protest against the hijab ban in Karnataka colleges (PTI)

One of the petitioners in the hijab case in the Karnataka High Court, Hazra Shifa, has alleged that a mob attacked her brother, and “our property was ruined”.

Reports said the window glasses of the family-run restaurant in Karnataka’s Malpe were broken in the incident on Monday night.

A case has been registered at Malpe police station, and the police are conducting an investigation.

“My brother was brutally attacked by a mob. Just because I continue to stand for My #Hijab which is MY RIGHT. Our property was ruined as well. Why?? Can’t I demand my right? Who will be their next victim? I demand action to be taken against the Sangh Parivar goons,” Shifa tweeted.

According to Shifa, her 20-year-old brother — Saif — is admitted to Hitech Hospital, Udupi.

The full bench of the Karnataka High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna S Dixit is hearing the case in which some Muslim girls are demanding that they be allowed to be wear hijab in classrooms.

On January 1, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by the Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into classrooms wearing the hijab.

This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear hijab in classes, which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear the headscarf to the campus, but entered the classroom after removing it, college principal Rudre Gowda had said.

“The institution did not have any rule on hijab-wearing as such and no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces,” Gowda had said.

Meanwhile, the issue is being closely watched internationally as a test of religious freedom guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

The U.S. Office of International Religious Freedom (IRF) said on February 11 that the hijab bans “violate religious freedom and stigmatize and marginalize women and girls.”

In response, India’s foreign ministry said outside comments over internal issues were not welcome and the matter was under judicial review.