The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) slammed hijab-clad girls whose video of celebrating Onam had gone viral on the internet. The Muslim body said hijab is a symbol of ’modesty and chastity’ and accused the girls of ’misusing’ it.
On Friday, the hijab wearing Islamist girls in a high school at Wandoor town in the Malappuram district of Kerala celebrated the festival of Onam with much gusto and excitement. The girls wearing Sari and donning hijab were seen dancing to the tunes of famous Malayali songs and celebrating the harvest festival after 4 long years, videos which had gone viral on the internet.
The video of the incident went viral on social media, with scores of netizens lauding the celebrations amid the recent hijab controversy that had emerged in neighbouring Karnataka. The netizens appreciated the multiculturalism depicted in the video and also praised the energy of around 600 school-going girls who danced during the celebration at the school.
Happy Onam. #CelebrateDiversity #onamcelebration #Onam pic.twitter.com/YV11S5ajTl
— Manu Sebastian (@manuvichar) September 8, 2022
“Our teachers asked us to prepare some programmes for Onam. They assured is some space in the school premises. The song which we played for the dance was from the movie Thallumala”, one of the students noted. Meanwhile the other one said that it is after two long years of COVID that we are having such kind of celebration. “Our teachers are with us in this and we are thrilled to know that”, the girl added.
A simple Onam celebration in a Kerala school has invited the ire of Muslim groups. Videos of hijab-wearing girls went viral on social media & had led a new controversy to blow up. Hijabi girls were scene dancing as part of Onam celebrations in their school. This has led to… pic.twitter.com/aFRxwL4m47
— Eagle Eye (@SortedEagle) September 9, 2022
However, the incident drew the ire of Islamists, who slammed the school girls for ‘misusing’ the hijab. All India Muslim Personal Law Board criticised the hijab wearing girls dancing and said that ‘hijab is a Symbol of Modesty and Chastity’ and that it was being misused. Dr Asma Zehra Tayeba, the woman activist of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board tweeted saying, “Dancing wearing Hijab defeats it’s very purpose. Hijab is not just a dress. It’s a concept and ideology which ensures safety of women”.
Hijab Misused and Misrepresented.
— Asma Zehra Tayeba Dr. (@AsmaZehradr) September 4, 2022
Hijab is a Symbol of Modesty and Chastity. Dancing wearing Hijab defeats it’s Very Purpose.
Hijab is not Just a Dress it’s a Concept and Ideology which ensures Safety of Woman. https://t.co/XNkro4W1Lc
Recently, a massive controversy had erupted in the state of Karnataka after a few Islamist girls stayed adamant on wearing hijab inside the schools and college premises. They were denied entry by the authorities of the educational institutions for violating the standard uniform rules. Later the Islamist girls knocked the doors of the Karnataka High Court who ruled that wearing hijab has never been an essential practice of Islam. The Court ordered the girls to attend the schools and colleges without hijab.
Onam was celebrated with grandeur and joviality in Kerala on Thursday after its celebration had been hampered by the COVID-19 epidemic and accompanying restrictions in the previous two years. Onam festivities were also hampered in 2018 and 2019 by disastrous floods in areas of the state.
