In a possibly blatant display of religious intolerance, a North Kerala based Madrasa has expelled a class 5 student as she wore a Bindi while acting in a short film, Hindustan Times has reported.
As per the report, some fringe elements had brought to the Madrasa authorities’ notice that the girl had worn a Bindi while she acted in a short film, following which the action was taken.
As a result of the expulsion, the girl’s father – Ummer Malayil, who hails from Kozhikode, took to Facebook to condemn the action. The Facebook post which has gone viral expresses his angst against the Madrasa authorities.
He claimed that his daughter was a good student, who also excelled in extra-curricular activities like singing and dancing. Thus he claimed that despite her impeccable talent she was expelled for the decision to sport a Bindi. The father also decided to take on the radical Islamists by expressing relief that she wasn’t given a stone pelting punishment.
The report claimed that while many supported the father for his stance, there were some who justified the Madrasa’s action by claiming that wearing a Bindi was un-Islamic and against sharia laws.
A Bangalore Mirror report which also covered this incident claimed that the reason cited for her expulsion was that she showed “indifference to Islamic teachings”. The report claimed that there has been a posturing by Kerala’s madrasas that they have implemented reforms to reflect diversity, but this incident though proved otherwise.
Incidentally, this isn’t the only time Madrasas have landed into a controversy when it comes to girls.
We had reported in December last year how the Uttar Pradesh police had rescued 51 girls from a Lucknow Madrasa where they were allegedly being held hostage and molested by the madrasa’s manager.
Also in May, it was reported that a girl was raped in a madrasa following which it was shut by the authorities.
