'Horrifying': Malala Yousafzai weighs in on Karnataka hijab row
What's the story
Women's rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday waded into the ongoing hijab controversy in Karnataka where Muslim girls wearing headscarves were barred from attending classes. "Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying. Objectification of women persists — for wearing less or more. Indian leaders must stop the marginalization of Muslim women," she tweeted.
Context
Why does the story matter?
The remark comes as protests over the recent ban on hijab in colleges have intensified across Karnataka. In several districts, college campuses witnessed a 'conflict-like' situation with incidents of stone-pelting and lathicharge being reported. The government, as well as the Karnataka High Court, which is hearing a plea on the matter, have called for peace and calm.
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BJP leaders slam Malala
On Tuesday, some BJP leaders slammed Yousafzai for her remarks. "Instead of advising your Muslim sisters to let go of regressive beliefs & spread their wings to fly, you want to push them into darkness?" tweeted BJP leader Priti Gandhi. BJP leader Manjider Singh Sirsa tweeted that Yousafzai "never spoke on other significant issues like forced conversion of minor Hindu Sikh girls in Pakistan."
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Who is Malala Yousafzai?
Born in Pakistan, Yousafzai was shot by Taliban militants in 2012 for openly speaking up on behalf of girls and their right to education. At that time, she was 11 years old. She was transferred to a hospital in Birmingham, UK, where she recovered and went on to continue her work for women's education. In December 2014, she received the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Schools, colleges shut in Karnataka
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has announced that all educational institutions in the state will remain closed for three days. "I appeal to all the students, teachers, and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony," he tweeted. The announcement came as a hearing on the issue is underway in the Karnataka High Court.
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Hijab row takes a political slant
Many opposition leaders staged a walkout from Lok Sabha on Tuesday over the hijab row. "Attempts to forcefully remove hijab are being made. Such things should come to an end," said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. On the other hand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that "wearing uniform is a routine thing. And when school has issued a guideline, everyone should follow it."
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How did the protest begin?
The protests began last month when six girls at the Government Girls PU College in Udupi, Karnataka, alleged they were excluded from lessons because they insisted on wearing the headscarf. In Udupi and Chikkamagaluru, some students opposed Muslim girls wearing the headscarf to class. The controversy quickly spread beyond Karnataka's borders, surfacing in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry.