Social activist and founder of NISA, a progressive Muslim women’s forum, V.P. Zuhara removed her hijab on stage in protest against a comment by Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama leader Mukkam Umar Faizi that women who do not cover their heads were of questionable character.
Inaugurating a session of the Kudumbashree’s ‘Thirike Schoolil’ campaign at Nallalam in the city on Sunday, Ms. Zuhra flayed Mr. Faizi’s comment and said that to cover or not cover the head was a woman’s choice, and that questioning the character of such women was misogynistic. “I grew up wearing hijab. But now I feel this is not needed,” she said before removing the pallu of her sari from her head.
However, the incident took another turn when Shahul Hameed, the PTA president of the school where the event was being held, allegedly hurled abuse at her as he was reportedly enraged by her action. Ms. Zuhara has filed a complaint with the Nallalam police in this regard.
The hijab row began when CPI(M) leader K. Anil Kumar said that the party had a role in making girls in Malappuram district confident enough to forsake the hijab. The party had later retracted the statement. Mr. Faizi had commented on it saying that women who did not wear hijab were of questionable character, and that the community should not allow women to be ‘wayward’.
