"Unfair to force women to choose between religion and education" - Amnesty International India
Amnesty International India has condemned the decision made by the Karnataka High Court, which upholds the ban on wearing hijabs in educational institutions.
"As India’s Supreme Court hears the petition on #HijabBan in Karnataka schools, we emphasise that forcing women to choose between their rights to freedom of expression and religion and their education is a form of discrimination and miles away from the goal of women’s equality," Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
According to The Hindu, Amnesty International's tweet comes during the current Indian Supreme Court hearings on the hijab ban.
The hearings have been occurring since September began. Protests from Indian Muslim women have marked these hearings. According to Hindustan Times, an advocate at the Supreme Court said that the hijab ban order led to 17,000 girls skipping exams.
Huzefa Ahmadi, who appeared before the Supreme Court on behalf of Muslim girls challenging the hijab ban in Karnataka, reported that the ruling of the Karnataka High Court resulted in thousands of girls skipping school and missing exams.