Hijab-clad Muslim women barred from entering café in Delhi

Incident adds to a concerning trend of harassment faced by hijabi women and students in Modi’s India

Another incident of Islamophobia and discrimination surfaced in India as hijab-clad Muslim women were denied entry to a café in New Delhi, the nation's capital.

Reported by the Kashmir Media Service (KMS), the incident occurred at Marbia Café, located in Friends Colony near Jamia Millia Islamia University in southern Delhi.

The women, wearing hijabs, attempted to enter the café but were stopped by the receptionist, who informed them that burqas were not permitted inside. “The receptionist stopped us asking if we had a reservation to which we replied we didn’t but we will book a table right now. She then blatantly told us that burqas are not allowed. We were shocked and left the venue without arguing with her,” one of the victim women told KMS.

Read: WATCH: Muslim student gives professor dressing-down for calling him ‘terrorist’

Upon contacting the café, the victims were informed by the administration that hijabs were indeed prohibited as per their policy, despite the lack of any valid explanation for such discrimination.

“Firstly, they responded that they don’t allow hijab inside. When pressed for the reason, the man kept on repeating that it’s just their policy,” she said.

This incident adds to a concerning trend of harassment faced by hijabi women and students in India, particularly exacerbated under the Modi-led BJP government. Instances of discrimination based on attire have surged, reflecting a disturbing rise in Islamophobic sentiments.

Read: India's hijab dispute reaches its most populous state

In November 2022, a Muslim student in Karnataka confronted a professor who likened him to a terrorist solely based on his Islamic name. Tragically, reports of mob lynching targeting Muslims have become alarmingly frequent across various regions of India.

In February 2022, colleges in Karnataka were shut down following protests over a new uniform policy that banned headscarves in classrooms, sparking demonstrations by Muslim students and counter protests by Hindu students.

More recently, in January of this year, public outrage ensued after senior Rajasthan cabinet minister Kirori Lal Meena advocated for the banning of hijabs not only in government schools but also in private schools and madrasas, further fueling religious discrimination and intolerance.