Sunday, June 19, 2016
Told not to wear abaya, DPS Srinagar teacher quits school - Written by Bashaarat Masood - The Indian Express
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The Indian Express
Told not to wear abaya, DPS Srinagar teacher quits school
Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said, “We live in a multi-religious, multi-cultural set-up. We have a secular fabric (and) no force on any such issue will be accepted. We are not France.”
Written by Bashaarat Masood | Srinagar | Updated: June 19, 2016 4:34 am
THREE DAYS after a teacher of Delhi Public School (DPS) Srinagar who had come to work in an abaya (a long, loose cloak worn by women) resigned, after the school management allegedly asked her to choose between the abaya and her job, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday called it a “serious issue” and said that J&K is “not France”.
Responding to Independent MLA Engineer Rashid’s question on the issue during Zero Hour in the Assembly, state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said, “We live in a multi-religious, multi-cultural set-up. We have a secular fabric (and) no force on any such issue will be accepted. We are not France.”
The minister, who is also the spokesperson of the PDP-BJP government in the state, was referring to France’s ban on headscarves, turbans and other conspicuous religious symbols in public schools. The teacher, who taught Biology, resigned on Wednesday after school authorities told her that she cannot wear it “inside the school”, she told The Sunday Express on Saturday.
The incident had come to light on Friday when students of the premier school boycotted classes and exams and sought an apology from the school management. The students also demanded that the teacher be recalled. “I was not given any contract or explained any conditions when I joined,” said the 29-year-old teacher, who did not wish to be named.
“The principal was absent for two months. After she returned, she sent a message that I should not wear abaya. She categorically told me that Islamic dress is not allowed on the school premises.” “The (school) chairman later also told me that I should not wear it inside the school. When I refused, I was told that I have to leave the job.”
According to the students, when asked about the issue, the principal told them that the school is “following rules” in issuing the warning to the teacher and contended that the school law says “no female teacher can wear abaya inside the campus during working hours”.
Calling it a “serious issue”, Akhtar said the government would get to the truth of the matter. “It (DPS) is a private school. We will get to the truth of it (the issue of banning abaya in the school),” he said. “We believe the (school) management is sensitive to the issues here.”
While the government tried to firefight, the separatists said the ban on wearing of abaya in school is akin to “interference” in practice of religion. “Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim-majority state and to raise objections on wearing of an Islamic dress here could have serious consequences,” senior separatist leader and Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said. “There is no moral justification for it. The school should offer an unconditional apology and ensure that such a mistake is not repeated.”
The Hurriyat leader added that the school should not ignore sensitivity of the issue. Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of religious organisations headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said that such “un-Islamic and anti-Muslim measures would not be tolerated”. The school administration did not respond despite repeated attempts for a comment.
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The Indian Express
Atleast 50,000 Muslims migrated after Muzaffarnagar riots. Would BJP send a fact-fonding team to Muzaffarnagar: Asaduddin Owaisi
The Hyderabad Lok Sabha member termed as "bogus" the list of 346 families who are alleged to have "fled" Kairana in Uttar Pradesh.
By: PTI | Hyderabad | Published:June 18, 2016 4:41 pm
Claiming that 50,000 Muslims migrated after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday asked the BJP if it would send a fact-finding committee there, akin to the one sent by it to Kairana on the issue of alleged migration of Hindus.
The Hyderabad Lok Sabha member termed as “bogus” the list of 346 families who are alleged to have “fled” Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, adding that it suited the interests of both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party to create a “drama” over the issue.
Owaisi claimed “50,000 people had left their original places where they had lived for generations” after the Muzaffarnagar riots, and termed it as “mass uprooting” of minorities after country’s Independence.
“Would the BJP send a fact-finding committee? Would the BJP find some time to send delegation to find out what happened to those 50,000 people who are displaced? (after Muzaffarnagar riots),” he said.
“Basically, they (BJP) have no other issue and this (Kairana issue) shows the real face of BJP that all this talk of development, ‘sab ka saath sab ka vikas’, is all a farce…unfortunately, they are being helped by Samajwadi Party,” Owaisi claimed.
“It suits both BJP and Samajwadi Party. Politically, BJP wants to create a fear among majority community. Samajwadi Party wants to give a message to Muslims that you are insecure if you don’t elect Samajwadi Party. So, this drama suits both BJP and Samajwadi Party,” he said.
When such issue are in the forefront, Samajwadi Party is happy as it does not have to answer questions on their failure to deliver and on “misgovernance”, he said.
Owaisi said the AIMIM would contest the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, due early next year, but added that it was too early to give the number of seats that it would contest.
He said his party was open to forging an alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
“Yes. I have no issue if such a proposal comes. We are open for alliance but we will have to wait and see what happens.”
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