by Nirmala Carvalho

The girl’s parents say she was expelled because she wore a headscarf. School managers reject the accusation, saying dozens of female students wear the scarf in their school. Muslim leaders fuel the controversy, demanding an investigation into the activities of Christian organisations.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Muslims are outraged after an English- language medium school run by the Believers' Church in Gurupuram (Alappuzha District) gave Nabala Musliar, a Muslim female student, a Transfer Certificate (TC), enabling her to go to another school. Her parents claim this is discriminatory because she wears the veil. Kerala State authorities have intervened, calling on the school to readmit the student whilst police are investigating the case. Meanwhile, local Muslim leaders are trying to exploit the case and whip up public opinion.

Reactions to the case were swift. Nabala’s father, Nazeer Musliar, who is an imam at a local mosque, held a press conference in which he said that wearing the veil is a fundamental individual right and a religious duty.

Muslim Aikya Vedi District chairman Khan Shahjahan reacted angrily to the school decision, calling it a violation of India’s secular, democratic and pluralistic culture.

Although acknowledging the work of Christian missionaries in the fields of education and health care, he accused certain new generation Churches of creating a social divide, which might gradually undo the social good rendered by various mainstream churches. For this reason, he wants the government to carry out an inquiry into the activities of these churches and their sources of income.

Juma-at-e-Islami district president T.K. Syed Mohammed said no individual or institution should hinder the right of a Muslim girl to wear a headscarf in a secular democratic nation like India.

Opposition to the decision has also come from non-Muslim organisations. The Popular Front of India, the Students Federation of India, the Kerala Students Union, and the Solidarity Youth Movement have organised marches in opposition to school’s decision.

In their defence, school managers said the student was not expelled from the school. They insist that there are no restrictions on wearing the headscarf in the school. Instead, they noted that the girl’s parents requested a Transfer Certificate (TC) after she was promoted to the 10th standard. A TC, they explain is required to go to another school.

The Church public relations officer, Lebi Philip Mathew, said that Nabala’s parents asked the school to mention the headscarf as the reason for the transfer.

The Believers Church Education Officer Philippose Poulose said in a statement that more than 150 Muslim female students were studying in the school and that most wore a headscarf.

He, too, called for a fair probe into the matter, suggesting it be conducted by an independent authority.

Muslim leaders have rejected the school’s claims. Syed Mohammed went further, saying that some local schools lied when they said they do not impose restrictions on Muslim female students.

In the meantime, the girl has received expressions of solidarity from many quarters, including public authorities, whilst the school has been severely condemned for its action.

• india
• kerala
• christian
• school
• muslim
• female
• student
• discrimination