Authorities of a missionary school in Uttar Pradesh have allegedly threatened to rusticate a Muslim girl studying in Class seven for wearing Hijab to the classroom.
Muslim dominated Tajikistan bans veils for women
The incident took place on Wednesday in Anand Bhawan school of Barabanki district when the student came to the school wearing the traditional Muslim scarf or the hijab.
However, the school did not pay any heed to the law and rather reprimanded her for wearing the scarf.
The school management also warned to rusticate her from the school if she wore the scarf to the classroom again.
School refuses to bend dress code
Even after, the girl's father Maulana Mohammed Raza Rizvi wrote a letter to the school stating that a Muslim girl has to wear a hijab once she reaches puberty, the school refused to heed to his requests.
"In Islam, it is mandatory for a girl to wear hijab to cover their head after attaining puberty. It was due to religious reasons my daughter wore the scarf. It is a minority institution and most of the teachers are Christians but even then they objected to my daughter wearing hijab," Rizvi was quoted as saying by DNA.
In fact, the school authorities asked Rizvi to admit his daughter in a madarsa or any other Islamic School or stick to the dress code of the school, if he wants his daughter to continue her education at Anand Bhavan.
"It should not be repeated again. If parents have any objections, they may withdraw and admit their daughter in any Islamic school," asserted the School Principal Archana Thomas while repeating that they are welcome to withdraw their child from Anand Bhavan .
"I did not mean to disrespect anyone's religion or force any student to seek admission in an Islamic school. We had only told the parents that if they have any objections to dress code of the school then they are free to withdraw their girl and get her admitted elsewhere," Thomas expalined.
In fact, the principal also cited the rules regarding the dress code of the school as explained in the Admission Forms.
"We admit student only after parents agree and sign to school rules and regulations written on the admission form," Thomas said.
Muslim girl's parents file complaint to UP CM
Meanwhile, Rizvi and his wife have filed a complaint with the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the district magistrate and the district inspector of schools (DIOS) against the rule being imposed on their daughter.
"The School order is against the Constitution which protects us to practice our religious rights. I will go to the court if the order is not withdrawn," Rizvi told the English Daily.
The girl has stopped attending classes after the incident.
