Kerala's Muslim Educational Body Bans Burqa on Campus

Kerala’s Muslim Educational Society (MES) has banned any dress that covers the face for girls on all the campuses it runs.

Muslim Educational Society (MES) controls total of 150 institutions that includes 10 professional colleges, 18 arts and science colleges, 12 higher secondary and 36 CBSE-affiliated schools.

MES state president Gafoor said that the decision to ban burqa was taken before the Sri Lankan government banned the burqa.

On this April 19, MES state president Fazal Gafoor issued a circular. It says, 'The MES will not encourage any type of veils on its campus. Managers of each MES institution will have to ensure that girl students do not come to the campus with their faces covered. They are hereby asked to include this as a rule on the campus from academic year 2019-20".

Further said, "MES, which aims at the social and cultural progress of the Muslim community, insists that students, even while maintaining high standards in curricular and extra-curricular activities, do follow a certain decorum in dress code too. Under these circumstances, dresses that are unacceptable to mainstream society - whether they are modern or religious - cannot be promoted".

Gafoor said that the high court has given educational institutions the freedom to decide their dress codes. There is no need for any controversy over the issue.