Triumphant Shireen steps into Aliah University without veil
Submitted by admin on 20 August 2010 - 9:18pm
By Adnan Alavi,
Shireen Madiha has finally stepped into the university on her conditions. She had refused to bow down to the union's diktat that every woman teacher will have to wear a burqa on campus.
Now she has succeeded and the union is forced to accept its defeat. Shireen [her name wrongly appeared as Sirin Middya in some newspapers] had invited the ire of the students' union in Kolkata's Aliah University, where she taught Bangla literature, for not wearing the veil.
Shireen Madiha [Photo by ibnlive.in.com]
The union members had asked her to comply just like other Muslim women in the institution. However, the lecturer refused. She took a strong stand against this irrational 'order'. Started in 1781 as a madrasa, Aliah University is the first Muslim university in West Bengal.
Firstly. it is unlawful to force a woman to wear a particular dress. Anyone has a right to not wear a burqa, just like it is a woman's right to go for hijab if she wills. Secondly, a 'student' union has no business to issue a diktat, and threaten a teacher, more so in a democratic country.
Unfortunately, certain individuals and groups commit acts send a wrong message. Media reports and a bit of intervention from the State government made the university authorities act. In fact, she shouldn't have faced this situation and university authorities must have reined in the union earlier.
She took a stand that she will not wear the burqa though some other women teachers started going to the university in veil. Initially she was shifted to the Salt Lake campus of the university, but was brought back and now goes back to teach, on her terms.
Banning veil, forcing veil equally absurd
For a lone teacher who was singled out and hounded on the campus, it was not easy. Shireen must be congratulated for taking a stand and fighting for her rights. It is absurd to force burqa in the same manner just like it is undemocratic to ban it.
[Photo by www.aliah.ac.in]
Civil rights and individual choice have to be respected. There will always be narrow-minded fundamentalist persons and institutes but they must be fought. In the last couple of years, such incidents are getting reported more often.
Earlier, teenaged Ayesha had fought the ban on headscarf in a Mangalore college and got her right to keep her head covered. Sironj's Mohammed Salim went up to the Apex court against the school that had expelled him for keeping beard, and he had also won the case.
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Adnan Alavi blogs at http://www.anindianmuslim.com
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Bangladesh bans mandatory veils
Bangladesh bans mandatory veils.
http://dailymailnews.com/0810/23/FrontPage/index.php?id=10
professor shireen's ultimate triumph
Now that young 23 year old Prof Shireen has shown immense courage in refusing to don hijab while teaching Bengali in the Aliah Islamic university; she needs to look further.
Because courageous people do not rest on their laurels but are always looking to the next challenge.
Now what needs to be seen is whether she takes up social service like Mother Teresa serving lepers and needy ; or takes up the cause of fighting against widespread corruption in Bengal and India ;or takes up the case of providing equal opportunity for the minority groups in being granted jobs like hers!
Best wishes for her for her future noble endeavours.
rattling without logic
M Naqqaad
All institution in the country fold into the law of the country. Your talk about the religious freedom do exist in india in the place of worship and not in the place of education recognized by the law.
As far as the france is concerned, it is the law of the country. Can anybody go to gcc and talk about having a church or a temple ? Because the law does not allow ?
I donot understand where the prophet's grand son martyrdom comes in between this conversation. If the society choose to go nude so be it, it is not a crime in some part of the africa and they donot have any social problems.
Mr.Naqqaad
Your comment is incoherent, so I cnnot reply.
every workplace has a dress code.
Every workplace has a dress code.
Any Muslim Islamic University will need to have ladies wearing hijab at least.
The students have a right to demand modest dressing and behaviour from a young female lecturer who is 23 years old.
Otherwise tomorrow in the name of democracy Shireen Madiha will want to come and teach in a miniskirt!
If it were not an Islamic university teaching religious education, it would be fine - if she opts for any dress she chooses.
The triumph is temperory, only for this world ; her maligning of the Islamic institution has found her many Islamophobic supporters worldwide!
Work Place Dress Codes
Teachers and professors in schools and colleges rarely have a dress code and yet female (and male) teachers dress modestly. When European countries try to ban the burqa, Muslims protest saying it must be the woman's choice. Yet when a students' union wants to take away that choice from a woman professor, we are silent!
why other move away
Ghulam Mohiyuddin (not verified) on 22 August 2010 - 11:38am.
You understand why other move away from muslim. because of the double standard they follow.
So unless muslim define fair role there words will never be accepted or believed by other belief
It is your double standard that u do not see others double stand
Mr. Satwa, it your double standard that u do not see others double standard. Every one double standard is apparent for every to see but you have to be really unbiased to see it.
Read following articles to know prevailing double standard in the world:
http://www.twocircles.net/2010may27/hypocrisy_guise_freedom_expression.html
http://twocircles.net/2010aug17/burqa_ban_what_it_means_west.html
right or other wrong
Hi,
Please be clear whether you want to argue to say that you are right or you want to say others wrong.
You need not answer anybody but to once own conscience of the islamic practices.
What is the respect of other belief in islamic majority country vs others ?
Every body learn the wrong faster and every hindu radical party justifies the stance of staunch hinduism on the same measure.
Bravo Shireen!
Bravo Shireen! I wonder what disciplinary measures were imposed on the backward leaders of the students' union who thought they could order a woman what to wear?
Ghulam remains so!! Satwa is at it always!!
Dear Mr Ghulam,
It is right that you are supporting the lady but in this case the institution is not a secular institute. Your secular insititute and conuntries try to impose 'values' they claim to stand for. Why on earth you want the not secular to do the same. A secular state and a religious university are poles apart.
I recall your opposition to the opponents of French ban on burqa and this shows your hypocracy. This is double standdard and not the one which the people demanding veil for the staff at the university in question. Those who are clapping at the fence are mischief monger. They will run away as soon as they feel the pressure, ala the people of Kuufa who fled and we all know what was the result. The Prophet's grandson was martyred. Have some stand and then speak. Had you spoken for the liberty of the veil/burqa in France or any other institution, you could have righfully said so in this case as well. The next step for people line you is to agitate for the lady asking to teach the Qur'an in miniskirt and then nacked. We're all born nacked so why not to jump to 'atural' dress.
Mr.Naqqaad, let us talk of double standards
Irrespective of whether the institute is religious or secular, the female teacher has the right to decide for herself whether she will wear burqa or not. Moreover the burqa policy is not a policy of the university but a policy created by the students' union.
When European countries try to ban the burqa, Muslims protest saying that it should be up to the woman to decide what she will wear. But when a students' union tries to take away that right from a female professor, the same Muslims who talk of a French Muslim woman's rights suddenly become silent.
While I am in favor of women discarding the burqa, I have never said that a woman who wants to wear a burqa should be forced to shed it.
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