J&K Class 12 topper faces online vitriol for not wearing hijab

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Class 12 topper Aroosa Parvaiz has hit out at online trolls who have been relentlessly heckling her after visuals and pictures of her without a hijab have gone viral on social media following her achievement of scoring 499/500 in the final year exams.

"Wearing or not wearing Hijab doesn't define one's belief in their religion. Maybe, I love Allah more than they do. I'm a Muslim by heart, not by a hijab," the Class 12 graduate told Kashmiri media. She also added that the online trolling had begun to affect her family.

Some of the comments left in the wake of Parvaiz' interview have called for her beheading with others questioning her character. The online attack started on February 8, when the Jammu & Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) announced its annual results for Class 12.

"Our sisters are fighting for hijab in Karnataka and we so-called Muslims in Kashmir are feeling proud not to have it," a screenshot of one such comment said, amongst several which drew parallels between Parvaiz and the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka where Muslim girls are protesting for the right to wear the headscarf to class.

"I know amid all the darkness, there's still a silver lining," she says. "And that's the outpouring support I received. I'm happy that there're people celebrating my humble feat out there," Parvaiz was quoted as saying by the Kashmiri Observer.

Her photo was shared by Karnataka BJP leader C.T Ravi who hailed her as a face of courage and bravery.

The Karnataka hijab row has emerged as a social battleground with the international community taking note of the issue. Meanwhile, the Karnataka high court, in its interim order, has asked students to not wear any religious clothing (both hijab and saffron shawl) as long as the court is hearing the matter.

International icon Malala Yousafzai had spoken up against the banning of hijab, asking the Indian government to safeguard the rights of Muslim women to get an education.

The government has also kept educational institutes shut until the issue blows over. The students battling for the right to wear a hijab are basing their argument on rights guaranteed by the Constitution, while the camp opposing it says religion should be kept out of school, especially when schools have a uniform.