GUWAHATI: A senior teacher of an Assam school, who wanted that the girl students wear “hijab” compulsorily, has shelved the plan as the move triggered a controversy.
“To protect my students from evil eyes and as a part of best personality of girls, today I made compulsory wearing hijab by all my girl students at East Point Public School, Karimganj,” AB Hannan, the teacher, had written on his Facebook page on Saturday. It was accompanied by a photo of some students in hijab.
The post went viral in no time on social media ensuing both bouquets and brickbats for him. This made the school management to convene a meeting on Sunday and it took a decision disapproving of the teacher’s move. So, he deleted the post on Facebook and tendered an apology.
“The feelings and the sentiments of many people have been hurt due to my post on hijab. Also, as I haven’t received the green signal on the issue from school authorities, I have deleted the previous post. The wearing of hijab will be optional. Apologize to everyone for the accidental injury,” Hannan wrote on Facebook.
He was not available for comments but he had told a news portal on Sunday that he had taken the move to protect the girls. He alleged that the girls studying in the school were harassed by the “ill-mannered boys” in the neighbourhood.
The school is accredited under the Secondary Education Board of Assam and it has a subject called Islamic studies. According to Hannan, the girls cover their heads in that class.
The school has 100 per cent enrollment of Muslim students and Hannan had said that “if any Hindu student gets enrolled in the future, we will see what we can do”.