'Hijab not essential part of Islam,' says Arif Mohammad Khan, Kerala governor

Amid the raging debate on wearing of hijab inside classrooms, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said that the headdress is not integral to Islam. He criticised comparison between wearing of a turban by Sikhs and hijab by Muslim women, by citing provisions of the Quran.

Khan reportedly said, "Hijab is not part of Islam. Hijab is mentioned seven times in the Quran but not in connection with women's dress code. It is in connection with 'purdah' which means that when you speak, you should have 'purdah' in between."

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He reportedly called the comparison between the Sikh turban and hijab "absurd" by claiming that the turban-wearing is an "essential" practice in Sikhism, while hijab is not an essential part of Islam.

The Kerala governor also alleged a conspiracy to derail progress of Muslim women, as per reports.

Kerala's neighbouring state Karnataka is currently in the grips of a massive storm over the issue. The Karnataka High Court is hearing the matter after some students filed a petition seeking the right to wear hijab inside classrooms. They had earlier been denied entry into classes without removing the headscarf.

The issue was first reported from Government Girls PU College in Udupi, but soon spread to other institutes.

In an interim order, the High Court has banned wearing of "saffron shawls, scarves, hijabs, religious flags within classrooms" by students in institutes with a prescribed dress code, as per reports.