St Agnes College Headscarf Ban Issue, CFI Warns of Intensifying Protest
Mangaluru: The Campus Front of India held a press meet in connection with the recent Headscarf ban in St Agnes College at the SDPI office State Bank here on June 26.
Addressing the mediapersons State committee member of CFI Riyaz Kadambu said, “St Agnes college has a history of more than 90 years and students from all walks of life come here to pursue their education. But recently the college authorities have banned Muslim students from wearing the headscarf in the classroom which is unconstitutional. If students wear the headscarf in the classroom they are being sent out of the class. Since this is the first time in this college the authorities are banning the headscarf the Muslim students are facing a problem. If the college authorities will not change their decision, CFI will intensify their protest in the coming days.”
Riyaz further said, “The College authorities say that they have mentioned the rules and regulations of the college in the College Academic Calendar. But during the admission, the college authorities did not give the College Academic Calendar. After joining the college the students were given the College Academic Calendar in which it is mentioned, “With regard to the code of dress, simplicity, modesty and propriety will be maintained at all times. It then follows, that the college desires and promotes a climate conducive to student life and fruitful study. Therefore, the students will wear the uniform prescribed by the college. No other attire is permitted in the college premises throughout the working hours. No students will wear the headscarf. CCTVs are installed in the college and campus. The principal and the faculty members have the right to know the identity of every student who enters and exits the gates of St Agnes. Therefore, students will not cover their faces or wear any other clothes except the prescribed college uniform inside the campus”. We request the college authorities to consider the students demand to wear a headscarf in the college. If the demands of the students are not met we will intensify our protest.”
When asked why the students cannot follow the rules and regulations mentioned in the College Academic Calendar, Riyaz said, “It is not the question of following the rules and regulations but as per Islam, Muslim women wear Hijab. How can the college authorities ban our tradition? We want the college authorities to respect students equally and allow them to follow their tradition and culture”.
When asked whether the parents and students will go to meet the Principal to solve the issue Riyaz said, “We have tried our best but the Principal and vice principal were not available in the college. Today for about three hours the students were waiting for the Principal to hand over the memorandum. After waiting for three hours when the students submitted the memorandum, the Principal refused to accept it because it was written in Kannada. She then asked them to write the memorandum in English. Why are the authorities discriminating the Muslim students?” he questioned.
When asked if the demands were not met, will the students be taken out from the college, Jameed Bava said, “My daughter told me that she was forced to remove her headscarf in the class. I will send my daughter to the same college to pursue her studies as it is a women’s college.”
When asked on the strength of Muslims students in the College, and why all of them had not joined the protest, District Vice President of CFI Murshida said, “There are about 80% Muslim students in the college and the college authorities will take action against them if they participate in the protest. Yesterday when we protested, many other students wanted to join us but the authorities closed the gate and did not allow them to join us. Some are afraid that they will get negative remarks when they get the TC”.
District President of CFI Imran P J, Rasheed and Ajeer Ahmed were also present.
its not required by Islam to cover the face. That is what the Saudi prince custodian of holy mosques said. Modesty is all that is required.
This is a good lesson for Christian institutions. When Hindu institutions tried to ban some of this dress code, they were unfairly mocked and attacked for ‘hindutva’ agenda. Nobody, especially the Christian community and institutions kept a silence for political reasons. Now, nobody will feel sorry for them. Hope they learn a lesson this time.