Are all Quranic injunctions inviolable, asks K’taka HC, hearing to continue

One of the important questions Justice Krishna S Dixit posed was whether all stated in Holy Quran amounts to essential religious practices and whether all Quranic injunctions are inviolable.

In reply, senior advocate Devdatt Kamat, counsel for the pro-hijab petitioner, submitted that in the instant case, wearing the hijab was an essential religious practice. “The larger question of whether all Quranic injunctions are essential religious practices does not arise in this case,” he argued.

The advocate apprised the bench that since the Holy Quran itself refers to wearing the hijab, it is not essential to refer to any other authority and such a practice should be protected under Article 25. The hearing will resume Tuesday.

‘Allow us to wear hijab matching our uniforms’

Meanwhile, challenging the government order restricting the use of any cloth that can disturb peace, harmony and, law and order, the girls who petitioned in favour of hijab requested the Karnataka HC to allow them to wear Islamic headscarves of the colour of the school uniform.

“I am not only challenging the GO but asking for a positive mandate for allowing me to wear a headscarf of the same colour of the uniform,” advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for girls of the government pre-university college in Udupi, told the bench pointing out tha central schools permit Muslim girls to wear headscarves of the school uniform colour.