Protesting for minorities and women of India but not of our own country

The recent attempts to ban the wearing of the hijab in colleges in the Indian state of Karnataka has been met with global ire and criticism – and rightly so. It has long been argued that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP), which has a stronghold in Karnataka, desire to implement its Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will only lead to the further marginalisation of non-Hindus in India. Hence, when hijab-wearing Muslim students were not allowed to enter schools and colleges across Karnataka, their protests symbolised the battle Muslims have had to wage against the increasing Islamophobia represented by the BJP. Videos of students being forced to take off their head coverings outside the gates of universities represent a terrifying image of where India is headed as a nation. Naturally, all such measures deserve universal condemnation; however, they must also prompt introspection.

Many in Pakistan have voiced their horror and disgust at what is transpiring in India, calling for world authorities and governing bodies to take notice. In particular, Muskan Khan’s bravery and refusal to be intimidated by Hindu far-right goons has been lauded in Pakistan since it symbolises a Muslim woman’s right to wear a hijab. Similar sentiments are on display in Pakistan when other such instances have occurred around the world, such as the proposed banning of the hijab in France. Now, I must state at the outset that all such grievances are perfectly justified. The insistence of any country or citizenry to clamp down on an individual’s freedom to practice their religion must always be called out and condemned. But simultaneously, while we criticise other nations for their shortcomings, we must also understand how we as a country are failing our women and religious minorities too.

Let us start with a basic example. How many of the people in Pakistan who are saying that women like Muskan should be allowed to dress how they want in India would have the same attitude towards women in Pakistan? As is demonstrated by the Aurat March year in year out, many men in Pakistan are desperate to police what women wear in public and are ready to argue whether or not it conforms to their pre-established notions of ‘decency’. The simple act of women marching together asking for their fundamental rights to be fulfilled leads to such vitriol, anger and backlash in Pakistan. Perhaps the same men who are calling for Muskan’s rights to be upheld should also try to raise their voices when women’s rights are squashed in Pakistan, or when Qandeel Baloch’s brother is acquitted after committing murder, or when the next honour killing is committed.

On a similar note, when calling out religious persecution in other countries, we must also ensure that we do not turn a blind eye to the issues plaguing religious minorities and minority sects in Pakistan. From forced conversions, to false blasphemy charges, to the kidnapping of non-Muslim girls, to the marginalisation of Ahmadis, we as a country have failed on so many fronts. Hence, when we support Muskan’s fight, in the same breath we must also ensure that we call out our own state’s inability to protect the rights of religious minorities and women in Pakistan.

Evidently, India is trying to turn the on-going ban into a debate about the hijab in an attempt to hide the fact that at its core, these sentiments are fuelled by the anti-Muslim agenda which the BJP has tried to promulgate for years. If anything, these state sanctioned acts should serve as a grim reminder to all those in Pakistan of just how easily the state can try to wrestle control and freedom away from its citizens. The fight being fought by Muslims in Karnataka and India is an important one, and we must voice our support for it. But this should not make us lose sight of the similar issues we face within our own country – otherwise, all anyone will see is our hypocrisy.