Lathi charge, Tear gas and Scarf Removal!

100s of college boys. 15 girls. 20 male police and 3 female. Yelling slogans with spirit we tried to burst through the barricaded gates of Calicut university. The police force tried to stop us. Hitting us with their lathis. Arresting us. Trying to demotivate us. The female police?? Well they simply tried to demotivate and descarf us. They pulled at the scarfs and shawls that we had on our heads forcing us to withdraw.
On 13 June the SIO workers conducted a University march protesting the University's atrocities, demanding that they release the ever chained up results of the private institutions and the last year's exam reaults. For those who don't know about Calicut University- this a routine procedure we always follow. Months ,even years pass before we get the result of a exam. Unless someone actually raise some slogans and fight with those police at the gates, the results just vanish. We have to fight for our rights here. We struggle to study here.
We won that day! After hours of strike, the University agreed to our demands. All was well at the end of the day. But one thing stayed in my mind all week long. The policewomen trying to remove that piece of cloth on our heads. Beat us. We have no complaints. Arrest us. We have no complaints. But mess with that piece of cloth on our heads, that piece of dignity all muslim women safeguard , Oh boy will you be in trouble.
Maybe they did in hopes of stopping us, to force us to withdraw. But they didn't realise that when they did so, they were violating the constitution itself. A hijab or a headscarf is an expression of our relegious freedom and a political identity. In the eyes of a Hijabi.. forcefully removing it is like removing anyother piece of clothing in public. It's that same sense of shame. The sense of being naked.
That piece of cloth on our head dear world, is our identity. Our faith. It is part of body, our soul. Removing that is offensive not only to the person but to a whole faith at large. They wouldn't pull at the dress of the girls during a lathi charge like the boys. Then why the scarf that we treat with the same or even more care than our dress??
A final message to any person who does this with thier hands or even with the tongue or mind. We Hijabis are strong women. That is why we participate in protests, strikes, fight against the injustice be it by words or by action. And do you know from where we get that strength?? Ya that's right. From that piece of cloth on our heads. That headscarf. Our Hijab, Our identity, Our Strength.

Comments

  1. AbuHisham18 June 2013 at 04:33

    Good expressions....Keep writing....
    Our solidarity and prayers....

    ReplyDelete

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