The MES circular, issued on April 19, 2019, and signed by MES State president, Dr. P A Fazal Gafoor, by says “MES will not encourage any type of veils on the campus. Managers of each MES institution will have to ensure that girl students do not come to the campus with their faces covered. They are hereby asked to include this as a rule on the campus from academic year 2019-2020.”

Incidentally, the MES decision came two days before the Easter day blasts in Sri Lanka on April 21, which killed a large number of people.

Expectedly, the MES order has earned the wrath of many Mulsim organizations including Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulema and Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation. Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulema state president, Syed Muhamad Jiffri Muthukoya Thangal has taken strong exception to the move. The MES has no authority to pass ‘diktats’ on religious issues, he said, adding that there are religious bodies who take decisions on matters related to faith and that the MES need not meddle with the issue.

Opinion on the MES decision is, however divided. Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (Martkazudawa), a prominent Muslim organisation, has said that the controversy over the order was needless. Their reasoning: covering of the face is not mandatory in islam. Markazudawa State president E K Ahmedkutty and general secretary CP Umer Sullami are of the view that the row over the MES order was uncalled for because Islam gives freedom to women to wear any modest dress that covers the body parts except the face and forearms.

"Women can wear any dress that are not tight-fitting and that does not reveal the ups and downs in the body. There is no insistence that they should wear purdah," their statement added.

It may be mentioned that the High Court had, in December 2018 dismissed a petition by two Muslim girl students challenging the imposition of uniforms by a Christian educational institution. While dismissing the petition, the HC had ruled that the petitioners cannot demand imposition of their individual rights as against the larger interest of the institution. The MES order is based on the High court direction.

Sullami further pointed out that women do not cover their face when they go for Haj or Umrah. However, there are certain restrictions. For instance, women are advised to avoid wearing provocative dresses.

However, a few Salafi groups have frowned upon the MES decision. Their objection: some people are trying to pose themselves as progressives in order to secure the applause of ‘Kafirs’.

With some Muslim organizations issuing a warning to MES, the controversy has taken a serious turn. If the MES does not withdraw the circular, it should be prepared to face strong protests, warned these organizations.

The MES leadership has, so far, refused to budge from their position. But it remains to be seen whether the unrelenting pressure being mounted by some extreme organizations will force the Muslim Education Society to reverse the decision. (IPA Service)