SEVERAL BALINESE SCHOOLS BAN HIJAB
Denpasar, 5 Rabi’ul Awwal 1435/7 January 2014 (MINA) – Several schools in Bali island ban its girl students from wearing hijab (headscarf) during school hours, Rights Defense Advocacy Team of Muslim Student in Bali told Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA), on Tuesday (7/1).
Iin addition to Senior High School (SMAN) 2 Denpasar that previously banned Anita Wardhani for wearing headscarf, there are another school such as SMAN 1 of North Kuta, SMAN 1 of South Kuta, SMAN 1 of Singaraja, Yunior High School (SMPN) 1 of South Kuta, Yunior High Private School (SMP) 1 of Singaraja, and SMP 3 of Singaraja, that did the same .
To date, there are 10 Muslim student accompanied by the rights advocacy team so that they pursued the case while the advocacy continuing their research over which schools that take part in the banning of the hijab.
Meanwhile, the team made their tentative conclusion that the banning was caused by unscrupulous principals sentiment towards symbols or teachings of Islam.
Just like the case of Anita Wardhani, for hanging out with his friends, she has never got racism response even though many of her friends are Hindus.
The banning contradicts with many schools that allow its students to wear the hijabs like in vocational secondary schools (SMK) 1 of South Kuta, there is even a Hindu and a Christian private school that allows their Muslim students to wear the scarf and religious symbols in school.
The people of Bali well-known in fostering inter-religious harmony. The majority of Balinese are Hindus, which coexist with other religious groups of people including Muslims as a minority. This case could undermine interfaith harmony in the region of the leading tourist destinations in Indonesia.
The prohibition of wearing hijab in school violates human rights. The 1945 Constitution, Article 28, 29 and 31 and the Education Law (UU SISDIKNAS) year 2003 number 20 give guarantees to every student with different backgrounds of ethnic, religions, and races to have the same rights and obligations in studying in the public schools.
The Circular of Education Ministry, No: 1174/C/PP/2002 dated on March 11, 2002 also mentions female students may use a hijab with the shape and design are handed over by the school by involving the School Committee . While in Islam, wearing hijab is obligatory for Muslim women to cover from head to chest.
The ban of wearing hijab also jolted Indonesia when the policewomen are prohibited to wear it while on duty. Even though the police chief, Sutarman had approved the law, but the decision had been withdrawn. They claimed, the proper design was not found yet.(T/P03/E1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
