Muslim body to approach SC against Karnataka HC verdict on Hijab

Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, general secretary of the organisation, said the verdict of the Karnataka High Court "is in violation of fundamental rights, especially for Muslim women and violated their religious rights.

New Delhi:All India Tanzim Ulema-e-Islam, an organisation affiliated to Dargah Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan in Uttar Pradesh, has decided to go to the Supreme Court against the Karnataka High Court's verdict on Tuesday in which it upheld the government's ban on wearing of Hijab in schools and colleges.

Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, general secretary of the organisation, said the verdict of the Karnataka High Court "is in violation of fundamental rights, especially for Muslim women and violated their religious rights.

"The ban on Hijab in Karnataka violated women's basic as well as religious rights. Adult girls are commanded in sharia to stay behind the veil. The constitution also gives everyone the freedom to wear clothes of their choice," he said. "Therefore, banning Hijab and not considering it an integral part of Islam is not only a unilateral decision but completely wrong. It is also a conspiracy to deprive Muslim students of education," Rizvi said.

The organisation, he said, would file a plea in the Supreme Court after receiving the copy of the High Court's decision and consulting with legal experts. Scholars of the Barelvi sect also expressed anger and disappointment over Karnataka High Court's decision. They said that Hijab has been an essential part of Islam since the time of the Holy Prophet.

Nasir Qureshi, a spokesman of All India Tanzim Ulema-e-Islam, described Karnataka High Court's decision as "disappointing". He said that a petition would be filed in the Supreme Court in this regard, and hoped that Supreme Court will rule in favour of the Muslim women.

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