In the wake of the Karnataka High Court verdict against hijab, Muslim groups led by Ameer-E-Shariat of Karnataka, Maulana Sagheer Ahmed Khan has called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday, March 17, to express the community’s dissatisfaction against the order.
After holding a meeting with representatives of several Muslim organisations in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Maulana Sagheer Ahmed Khan expressed the community’s deep discontent with the verdict. He called for a one-day peaceful bandh in the state.
“All Muslim employees, labourers, traders, businessmen, students and every individual or group are called to join this bandh, and tell the government that it is our right to get educated while following our religion. Every justice-loving individual is hereby asked to join this bandh,” he said.
He said there would be no protests, public gatherings or sloganeering during the bandh, and emphasised that the objective is to only express the community’s dissatisfaction.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the State government order effectively banning the wearing of hijab by Muslim girl students in educational institutions in Karnataka. The three-judge bench adjudicated that the wearing of hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam.
The verdict has been slammed by Muslim leaders and organisations across the country as “unacceptable”. Many organisations questioned the court’s right to interpret religious texts. “It is not the job of courts to interpret what is essential or non-essential about any faith,” they said.
