On a number of petitions that questioned the prohibition against Muslim women and girls wearing the hijab, or headscarf, in educational institutions, the Supreme Court is scheduled to issue its ruling on Thursday. The final judgement was reserved on September 22 by a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia after the subject, which has grown to be very sensitive, was heard in the highest court for more than 10 days.
One of the concerns brought up during the hearings was that Muslim girls could cease going to school as a result of the prohibition on headscarves. The decree was released by the BJP-led government in Karnataka, which asserted that it was “religious neutral.” Massive demonstrations against the government order have taken place in the southern state of Karnataka.
The Karnataka High Court ruled in March that wearing a headscarf by Muslim women is not a necessary component of Islam’s religious practices, upholding the government’s executive order from February 5. According to reports, this was the first time a constitutional court in the nation had decided whether the hijab qualifies as an essential Islamic religious practice that is protected by the Indian Constitution with the least amount of government interference.
