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Protest against the headscarf ban in New Delhi: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala shows solidarity with Muslim women
Photo: Hindustan Times / IMAGO
In a state in southern India, disputes over a headscarf ban in classrooms have escalated.
As of this Wednesday, most schools in the state of Karnataka will remain closed until the end of the week.
The trigger was a new rule in some schools that forbids the wearing of the Islamic hijab in classrooms.
Predominantly Muslim schoolgirls protested against the ban, predominantly right-wing Hindu men in favor.
On Tuesday, stones were thrown, there was arson and some police officers used clubs, the television station NDTV reported.
Most of India's 1.3 billion inhabitants are Hindus, while Muslims make up the largest minority at 14 percent of the population.
Among others, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai showed solidarity with the young Muslim women on Twitter.
"The objectification of women persists - when they wear too little and too much," Yousafzai wrote.
The controversy began after a video of hijab-wearing students being prevented from entering their classroom recently went viral.
In the meantime, a court is also to deal with the hijab bans in schools and their constitutionality.
In the affected state of Karnataka, the Hindu nationalist party BJP is in power, which is also the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
sun/dpa