Express News Service
SRINAGAR: Several girl students at a school in Srinagar on Thursday staged a protest after they were allegedly directed by the principal not to wear the Abaya (a cloak worn over clothes by Muslim women) in the college.
The students of the 11th and 12th classes of Vishwa Bharati Higher Secondary School, Rainawari in downtown Srinagar staged a protest outside the school today against the alleged ban imposed by the principal on wearing of Abaya.
“We were told yesterday that you should come to school without wearing Abaya and if you wear Abaya, you won’t be allowed entry into the premises. The school management is telling us that since you are wearing Abaya, other students are also getting influenced and they too want to wear it. It seems the management thinks wearing Abaya is wrong. It seems they will allow us entry into the college if we wear jeans and pants,” said a protesting girl student.
“They are telling us that if you want to wear an Abaya, you should have instead joined Madrasa. The principal is telling us that if you want to be part of society, you should stop wearing the Abaya,” she added.
“Are we doing anything wrong by wearing Abaya and imparting education? We want the college management to allow us to wear the abaya in the college,” one of the protesting students said.
Kashmir: Students from the Vishu Bharti (VB) school in Rainawari, Srinagar, staged a protest against the School administration stating that they were disallowed to enter the premises of the school because they were wearing Hijab.pic.twitter.com/o6StjdRY4z
— Ahmed Khabeer احمد خبیر (@AhmedKhabeer_) June 8, 2023
“We are the school toppers. The school is discriminating against us because we are wearing abayas. We are being told that you cannot participate in any activity because you are wearing an abaya,” she added
Asked whether they will give up abaya to continue education in the school, the protesting student said, “We will not give up Abaya. It is very important for a Muslim woman to wear an abaya. We will prefer Abaya over continuing education if we are asked to choose between abaya and education. We cannot leave the abaya. We can avail education in the abaya”.
Meanwhile, the school principal said students come in colourful abayas with different designs to the college. “We have been telling them to wear a white colour abaya so that it can be treated as part of the uniform,” she said.
National Conference chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said, “Wearing a Hijab should be a personal choice, and there should be no interference in matters of religious attire. It is unfortunate to witness such incidents in a Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir.”
“We strongly oppose this and urge for immediate corrective action. I request the @OfficeOfLGJandK, @SrinagarPolice and @AsadamAijaz to intervene promptly before the situation escalates,” Tanvir tweeted.
SRINAGAR: Several girl students at a school in Srinagar on Thursday staged a protest after they were allegedly directed by the principal not to wear the Abaya (a cloak worn over clothes by Muslim women) in the college.
The students of the 11th and 12th classes of Vishwa Bharati Higher Secondary School, Rainawari in downtown Srinagar staged a protest outside the school today against the alleged ban imposed by the principal on wearing of Abaya.
“We were told yesterday that you should come to school without wearing Abaya and if you wear Abaya, you won’t be allowed entry into the premises. The school management is telling us that since you are wearing Abaya, other students are also getting influenced and they too want to wear it. It seems the management thinks wearing Abaya is wrong. It seems they will allow us entry into the college if we wear jeans and pants,” said a protesting girl student.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“They are telling us that if you want to wear an Abaya, you should have instead joined Madrasa. The principal is telling us that if you want to be part of society, you should stop wearing the Abaya,” she added.
“Are we doing anything wrong by wearing Abaya and imparting education? We want the college management to allow us to wear the abaya in the college,” one of the protesting students said.
Kashmir: Students from the Vishu Bharti (VB) school in Rainawari, Srinagar, staged a protest against the School administration stating that they were disallowed to enter the premises of the school because they were wearing Hijab.pic.twitter.com/o6StjdRY4z
— Ahmed Khabeer احمد خبیر (@AhmedKhabeer_) June 8, 2023
“We are the school toppers. The school is discriminating against us because we are wearing abayas. We are being told that you cannot participate in any activity because you are wearing an abaya,” she added
Asked whether they will give up abaya to continue education in the school, the protesting student said, “We will not give up Abaya. It is very important for a Muslim woman to wear an abaya. We will prefer Abaya over continuing education if we are asked to choose between abaya and education. We cannot leave the abaya. We can avail education in the abaya”.
Meanwhile, the school principal said students come in colourful abayas with different designs to the college. “We have been telling them to wear a white colour abaya so that it can be treated as part of the uniform,” she said.
National Conference chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said, “Wearing a Hijab should be a personal choice, and there should be no interference in matters of religious attire. It is unfortunate to witness such incidents in a Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir.”
“We strongly oppose this and urge for immediate corrective action. I request the @OfficeOfLGJandK, @SrinagarPolice and @AsadamAijaz to intervene promptly before the situation escalates,” Tanvir tweeted.
