The Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), which goes by the tagline: ‘equality, justice, compassion and peace’ had sent out a communication last month when the Karnataka hijab controversy was raging. It had castigated the BJP government in the state for engulfing educational campuses in communal fires. It had most importantly also stated though that it disagreed with the agitating Muslim girls that their demand to wear hijabs in classrooms conforms with their Constitution-protected fundamental right to freedom to religion.

Any number of modern-day Islamic scholars believe that the veil is not mandatory in Islam, the IMSD statement had said. Yesterday, the Karnataka High Court ruled that the hijab is not an essential religious practice. It dismissed all petitions filed by Muslim girls for permission to wear hijab in educational institutions. While delivering the verdict, the Karnataka High Court said wearing hijab by Muslim women, “does not form an essential religious practice in the Islamic faith.”