Owaisi says State has no right to decide on religions' essentials

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Assadudin Owaisi
Assadudin Owaisi

 

New Delhi
 
Member of Parliament Assadudin Owaisi who is also the President of the All Indian Majlis-e-Itihadul Muslmeen (AIMIM), says he disagrees with the judgment of the Karnataka High Court on the continuation of the ban on Hijab n schools and colleges where uniform is prescribed. He contended that the “State should interfere in religious rights only if these harm others; headscarves don’t harm anyone,” he said.
 
In a series of posts on Twitter, Owaisi said he hopes that this judgment wouldn’t be used to “legitimize the harassment of hijab-wearing women in India. “One can only hope and eventually be disappointed when this starts happening to hijab-wearing women in banks, hospitals, public transport.” 
 
He called for a review of the essential religious (ERP) practice test used for testing if a practice in question is fundamental to a particular religion.
 
He claimed not even other people of the same religion have the right to decide on the essentiality of religious practice as “it’s between the individual and God.”
 
“Banning headscarf definitely harms devout Muslim women and their families as it prevents them from accessing education. The excuse being used is that uniform will ensure uniformity. How? Will kids not know who’s from a rich/poor family? Do caste names not denote background?” he wrote on Twitter.
He claimed that uniforms educational institutions don’t prevent teachers from discriminating and the global experience says that reasonable accommodations are made in school, police, and army uniforms to reflect diversity.
 
“When Ireland’s govt changed the rules for police uniform to allow hijab and Sikh turban, Modi government welcomed it. So why have double standards at home and abroad? “ he wrote.
 
He alleged the issue of Hijab in Karnataka was orchestrated “First, the government created a problem where none existed. Children were wearing hijab, bangles, etc & going to school. Second, violence was instigated and counter-protests were held with saffron turbans.”