LUCKNOW: Irked by the Karnataka high court’s order on the Hijab row, clerics and members of Muslim bodies said that the order is against constitutional rights and should be challenged in the Supreme Court.
While Muslim representatives including those of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said that a dress code can be decided by an educational institution and it should be followed as such by all, they unanimously disagreed with the court calling hijab “not an essential part of Islam.”
Executive member of AIMPLB, Dr Asma Zehra, said, "Hijab is an obligation in Islam. A woman sins by not donning it. The Constitution gives us the right to practise religious beliefs but those are being compounded in this order. Islam cannot be followed with the majoritarian view of it."
"This act of banning things for Muslims will not stop at this and the judgment though expected is upsetting. Now, we need to spread awareness about hijab on various mediums so that our voice is heard," she added.
Referring to the verses of Surah Azhab and Noor of the Quran, Maulana Khalid Rashid said, "Quran defines the hijab and the ways to practise it. Hence we do not accept the part where hijab is not considered an essential part of Islam. The dupatta was born in our country and is respected by all faiths. Asking a girl to remove her dupatta is disrespectful. The hijab is also a dupatta."
Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas also argued the pretext of the order. "If the Constitution gives us the right to follow the Quran, Hadith and the religion, why are aspects of the Quran being singled out? Verses 24 and 31 of Surah Noor clearly states that women need to cover their heads and chests. Quran is the jist of our religion. This selective reading of essentials is stealing away our rights. This order should be challenged in SC," he said.
Maulana Khalid Rashid, head of Islamic Centre of India said that the legal cell will deliberate on the judgment and decide to move SC. Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas said that Hijab and purdah had been mentioned in various verses of the Quran and the Quran is the foundation of Islam, thereby making hijab an essential aspect of the religion.
