Hijab not intrinsic to Islam, vested interests trying to push women back to dark ages: Kerala Guv Khan | Exclusive
India Today
Speaking to India Today on the hijab row, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said the hijab is not intrinsic to Islam. He alleged that vested interests were "using" protesting Muslim students and wanted to "push women back into the dark ages".
Against the backdrop of a raging controversy over the ban on hijab in some education institutions in Karnataka, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said the hijab is not intrinsic to the practice of Islam.
He stated that the argument that Sikhs are allowed to wear turbans while Muslim women are being banned from wearing hijabs in some colleges and schools is “preposterous”.
“In Sikhism, the turban is considered and accepted as essential to the religion. On the other hand, hijab in the context of women’s dress finds no mention in the Quran,” he said in an exclusive interview with India Today.
Further, he alleged that “vested interests” were instigating young Muslim women to protest for their right to wear hijab. Arif Mohammad Khan said that these “vested interests” want to “push Muslim women back into the dark ages”.
#ExclusiveIf the ’Right to wear Hijab’ argument is accepted then it will be the Muslim women who will be the losers: Arif Mohammed Khan (@KeralaGovernor)#KarnatakaHijabRow #HijabRow #Hijab | @gauravcsawant pic.twitter.com/H8Ou72xn6t
The Karnataka hijab row erupted after a group of young Muslim students were not permitted to enter their college in Udupi on account of wearing hijabs. The issue spread across the state as more colleges and schools issued similar diktats. Opposing groups of students began protesting both for and against the right to wear hijabs in educational institutes. Those opposing the Muslim girls donned saffron scarves.
The controversy snowballed further with national political parties attacking each other over the issue. The protests have now spread to different parts of the nation and the matter is in the high court at present.
