The hijab debate in Karnataka has started getting international attention. Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace laureate and activist for girl education, tweeted on the issue.
Malala said, "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 marginalisation of Muslim women."
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Malala, who was born in Pakistan, was shot by Taliban terrorists when she was 15. She was targeted for seeking the right to education in Taliban-controlled Swat Valley. Malala survived the attack, and became a champion for girls' right to study. She became the youngest-ever Nobel laureate in 2014.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is ruling Karnataka, did not take kindly to Malala's advice. CT Ravi tweeted, "Who is this interfering in the internal affairs of India? Shouldn't she be hiding behind her burqa?"
Karnataka has become ground zero for a debate on the right to sport religious symbols inside classrooms which mandate a uniform dress code. The tension has risen to the point that the state government on February 8 announced the closure of schools and colleges for three days.
The row began in January this year with some hijab-wearing girls being denied entry into class at the Government Girls PU College in Udupi. Similar scenes then played out at other institutes in the region. Some students belonging to another community also wore saffron scarves to counter the practice of wearing Islamic headgear by some Muslim girl students.
This led to the Karnataka government banning clothes which can "disturb equality, integrity, and public order" in schools and colleges. The Karnataka high court is now hearing a petition filed by some Muslim students seeking the right to wear hijab in classrooms.