Inter-Religious Committee fights for Right to wear abaya, hijab
View(s):The Kandy District Inter-religious committee has taken up the case of seven Muslim teachers who have not been allowed to serve in their schools wearing their cultural dress.
Secretary Renuka Molligoda said they intend lodging a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) against the Schools’ administration and the Ministry of Education (MoE)’s failure to provide security to the teachers who had come clad in abaya and the hijab.
Last week, despite a communiqué sent out to schools by the MoE, that Muslim teachers be allowed to wear their traditional dress to schools, parents and principals of certain schools continued to hold them back, insisting they come dressed in saree.
This has led to the MoE transferring the seven teachers serving at St. Anthony’s College Katugastota. They have been given temporary posting to Muslim schools in the area. The transfer letters allow them to serve in those schools till December 10, 2019.
“This is not a solution. This harassment and discrimination must stop and the school administration should give them protection from unruly parents,” she said.
- CC