Maldivian Students in India Have Not Complained Regarding the Ongoing Hijab-Bans: Foreign Ministry

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry has claimed that they have received no complaints from Maldivian students resident in India with regards to the ban on the hijab imposed at some Indian universities.

Several Indian government-run universities and colleges have banned students from wearing the hijab; the religiously-mandated headscarf worn by Muslim women. The hijab ban is at its most extreme in Karnataka, a state in India's south-western region. Several Maldivian students, who wear the hijab, currently reside in India; and many students reside in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka.

The Maldives Journal reached out the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Communications Director, Miuvaan Mohamed, to ask if the Ministry have been keeping touch with the Maldivian students, keeping track of their well-being, and providing them with any assistance they may need. Miuvaan responded that no Maldivian student has complained to the Ministry yet.

Kundapura Government College, run by the Karnataka state government, had banned Muslim students from entering college premises while wearing the hijab. Also, a government college in Karnatka's UDP distrct banned Muslim students from attending classes while wearing the hijab.

Video clips of Muslim students being forced to unveil themselves before entering some Indian colleges had recently spread throughout social media.

MP Mohamed "Mosta" Nasheed Abdullah (MNP-Nolhivaram) had submitted an emergency motion to Majlis calling upon the Foreign Ministry to ensure the security and safety of Maldivian students in India. The Maldivian Democratic Party, which has a majority in the Majlis, voted against accepting the motion.