PAKISTAN on Tuesday expressed serious concerns over a high court ruling in India upholding a hijab ban in the educational institutions of the country’s Karnataka state.
Earlier in the day, an Indian court upheld a ban on wearing of the hijab in classrooms in the southern state of Karnataka, a decision that could set a precedent for the rest of the country with a big Muslim minority.
The oppressive judgement is a clear testimony that Muslims are being treated as second grade citizens in India even by the judicial system and there is no hope for improvement of their pathetic conditions.
The Foreign Office has rightly pointed out that the verdict manifestly failed to uphold the principle of freedom to religious practices and impinges on human rights.
The partisan attitude adopted by the Indian courts on different occasions, especially in respect of Babri Mosque in Ajodhya, consumption of beef by Muslims, offering of prayers in open places and now Hijab ban deepens the impression that the judiciary in India, which is expected to act as a bulwark against dehumanisation, stigmatisation and discrimination against minorities, has completely failed to uphold the principles of justice and equality and the verdicts on issues relating to fundamental rights of the Muslims are treated in a highly biased manner to please the believers of the majority faith in the otherwise (claimed to be) secular country.
Ironically, the verdict coincided with adoption of a resolution by the United Nations, designating March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
The OIC countries, which are meeting in Islamabad, should ponder over ways to effectively implement the resolution and formulate a joint strategy to safeguard rights of Muslims in India, who are being denied their religious identity.
