Seven medical students at a college in India's Kerala state have written to their principal suggesting a way to strike a balance between their need to follow hijab norms and perform surgical procedures.
The MBBS students of a Government Medical College in the city of Thiruvananthapuram have stated in their letter that based on their religious beliefs, “wearing hijab is mandatory for Muslim women under all circumstances”.
“Hijab-wearing Muslims have a difficult time, finding a balance between donning compliant religious attire and maintaining modesty while also complying with hospital and operation room regulations (sic),” the letter reads.
The students have even suggested an alternative to the Hijab based on the uniformed health workers in other parts of the world, and options offered by companies that manufacture clothing for surgical procedures.
“Long sleeve scrub jackets and surgical hoods are available which allow us to maintain sterile precautions as well as our hijab,” the students said in their letter, requesting the principal allow them to wear these at the as soon as possible.
The college principal, Dr. Lynette Morris, has set up a committee to discuss the students' demands.
Talking to media, Dr. Morris said: “The demand of the students cannot be accepted for now. International standards are maintained in operation theatres. The patient's safety is paramount.”
However, Dr. Morris further stated that it was not possible to take such a decision alone. So, the committee will come up with a solution within 10 days.
Karnataka Hijab Row
The letter by the students followed on the heels of the dispute that had erupted in Karnataka in December 2021 when there was a lot of commotion in the state after some girls were denied entry into their classroom by the authorities of the government-run school.
Later, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government banned hijab-clad students from entering school or college campuses, saying that students should only be wearing their prescribed uniform.
The government's decision triggered protests among Muslim students throughout Karnataka. The matter reached the state 'sHigh Court, which upheld the government’s decision, saying that wearing hijab is not an essential practice in Islam.
The verdict was challenged in the Supreme Court, but the two-judge bench couldn’t arrive at a unanimous decision.
One judge upheld the Karnataka High Court's ruling, whereas the other one rejected it. Following the split verdict, the topmost court said this past March that it would create a three-judge bench to hear the case.