New Delhi

Call it jealousy or ignorance, the topper of the 12th board examination in Kashmir Aroosa Parvaiz, is being trolled for not wearing Hijab in her picture that is being shared by the media to highlight her achievement.

Aroosa who has secured 499 out of 500 marks in the Science stream of the 12th examination held by the J&K Board Of School Education, admitted the trolling had troubled her family.

“These comments don’t matter to me but they’ve taken a toll on my parents,” Aroosa said.The bright young Aroosa is quoted by the local media saying: “Wearing or not wearing Hijab doesn’t define one’s belief in their religion. Maybe, I love Allah more than they (trolls) do. I’m a Muslim by heart not by hijab.”

Local media says the trolling started as soon as a wave of happiness descended on her family on February 8 after the BOSE has declared the results of the 12th standard.

While people in the media were marveling at her achievement, several faceless people shamed her for not using a hijab to cover her head. Some even asked her to take lessons from the Karnataka girl who defended her hijab in front of a mob.

However, two days after, several voices have risen in her support on social media.

Srinagar’s young Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu said every woman has the right to choose what she wears be it in Kashmir or Karnataka:

Those trolling the young 10+2 topper are the worst of the lot — delusional!

Every woman has a right to dress as she wants to. You don’t have a right to impose your views on her. Nobody does!

Both in Kashmir and in Karnataka - to wear OR to not wear a headscarf.

— Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) February 12, 2022

Local media has also started speaking against the harassment of the bright girl. Kashmir Observer said:

"Trolling of Kashmiri women, notably, has become a pastime in the online world where anonymity and physical distance have allowed people especially men to harass, abuse, and threaten others with a strong sense of impunity along with death threats flying thick and wild."

Lubna Khan said:

“This spiteful behavior is a comment on our community. By ruining such a happy moment for this bright girl with their sadistic and nasty comments, these trolls are only weaponizing religion. Which religion teaches them this venomous behavior? Who’re they to judge people? Kashmiris should learn to rise above this habitual moral policing. And those resorting to this cruel conduct, time and again, should be called off.”

This actually shows how much filth is in the minds of Kashmiris. We just can't be happy for someone's achievement. We will pick on a woman's clothes, her character, her way of talking and thinking! And then we question India(1/2) pic.twitter.com/UuTlhYJZ4C

— Lubna Khan (@lubnakhan0119) February 12, 2022

Since most of the faceless and anonymous trolls escape detection, they feel emboldened to one of the trolls was so emboldened with the impunity that he had openly called for the beheading of the girl: “Begairat…Pardah nai kia…Eski gardan katt do (Shameless, hasn’t covered…She should be beheaded.”

Driven by this violent script of shutting and silencing women, Aroosa’s case also saw trolls targeting her family members and questioning her upbringing.

Popular Radio Jockey RJNasir said:

While she will be climbing the ladders
of success and achievements Inshalla dumb people with smart phones will continue to lower their standards on social media.

You go girl . ALL THE BEST FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD.

https://t.co/Nddn2HRLtV

— RJ Nasir (@rjnasirkashmir) February 12, 2022

Clarifying these “groundless online fatwas”, Mufti Azmatullah of Darul Uloom Rahimia, Bandipopra said, “People have no right to give violent moral lessons to anyone,” Mufti Azmatullah said.

“Islam teaches us to educate others through Dawah. By trolling or criticizing them or their families, you commit a bigger crime.”

It may be recalled that women have been at the receiving end of the radicalized elements in Kashmir. Three school girls had to abandon their musical band after receiving threats from such elements a decade ago.