Hyderabad: Protests erupted across Hyderabad on Wednesday over the Karnataka hijab row as women in several parts of the city hit the streets to show solidarity with the college students of the neighbouring state.
Muslim women studying in colleges across northern Karnataka were asked to shun their hijab after a group of male students arrived at the colleges, adorning saffron scarves, in a protest against girls being allowed to wear headscarves on the college premises. The series of anti-hijab protests however started when a government college in Udupi refused to allow hijab-clad women into the college premises.
The issue escalated further in the last couple of days as protests in favour of wearing the Hijab and those against it erupted in the state. On Tuesday, a video of a Hijabi student being heckled by a group of saffron-clad students chanting slogans of “Jai Shree Ram” surfaced on social media. The student, who was later identified as Muskaan, responded to the bullies by loudly chanting Allahu Akbar.
The incident instantly sent shockwaves to the country as people on social media condemned the bullies for attempting to scare the Muslim student. At the same time, the girl won accolades for her courage and standing firm against those bullies.
On Wednesday, women in Hyderabad came out to show their support to the Karnataka Muslim students who have been defying the Hijab diktat.
Anwar ul Uloom students protest Karnataka’s hijab ban
Students of Anwar-ul-Uloom college in Mallepally, Hyderabad staged a protest against the hijab ban at various government pre-university colleges in Karnataka.
The students called for an impromptu protest outside the premises of the college. The gathering comprised 50 students, including students who wore hijabs.
The students carried placards and shouted slogans demanding justice, in solidarity with the students of Karnataka. They raised their voices against the row which erupted in the southern state.
Mild tension prevailed at the college against the hijab controversy, forcing the Habeeb Nagar police to rush to the protest site.
Students protest at Charminar
At noon, students of the Government Nizamia Unani Tibbi College registered a protest at Charminar against the ban of hijab in the educational institutions in the state of Karnataka.
They displayed placards that said ‘Hijab is my right’ and spoke against the treatment met by Hijabi students in Karnataka for wearing headscarves, as a part of their religious obligation.
Saidabad women hold protest
Denouncing the Hijab ban in Karnataka, several women held a protest prayer meeting “Qunoot-e-Naazilah”, in Saidabad.
Qunoot-e-Naazilah is a supplication, which is recited whenever the Muslim community find themselves afflicted with some hardship.
The protest witnessed the presence of police personnel. Security was tightened and surveillance was intensified.
Scores of women held congregation prayers at Ujale Shah Eidgah grounds in Saidabad. The women strongly condemned the attitude of institutions in Karnataka and the prohibition of Muslim women’s right to adorn the Hijab in schools and colleges.
The protestors also carried banners and placards in support of wearing Hijab.
“A woman’s right and freedom to wear the hijab is guaranteed under the Indian constitution. The current controversy over Hijab is prejudice against minorities” said one of the protesters.
One of the posters from the protest site read, “Being born into Islam is the biggest blessing of Allah.”
Protest at University of Hyderabad
The students of the University of Hyderabad also protested at the South Gate of the campus in solidarity with Muslim girls in Karnataka who are facing institutionalised discrimination for practising their faith. The protest was organised by various student bodies of the campus.
Protest at MANUU
Students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad took a huge rally inside the campus premises on Wednesday evening to protest against the Hijab ban. Scores of Hijab-clad students raised slogans and carried ‘We support Hijab’, ‘Hijab is our pride’ placards.
GIO Telangana held protest against Hijab ban in Karnataka
On February 6, (Sunday) the very first protest in Hyderabad was held by the members of Girls Islamic Organization, Telangana (GIO) against the ongoing controversy in Karnataka over wearing Hijab by girls and conditions for entry into educational institutions.
Women carrying placards stating “Hijab is my right” staged a silent protest near seven tombs at Golconda. The protestors demanded that the Karnataka Government shall end the prejudiced attitude towards minorities and ensure that every woman in the state enjoys the rights provided under the constitution of India.
The protestors argued that the pandemic has affected the studies of students and the girls have suffered a lot during these testing times. Raising slogans in assertion of their rights to dress however they chose, the women protestors expressed their condemnation by holding a silent protest in the city.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sumaya Junaid Ahmed | 
