Hijab bans deepen Hindu-Muslim fault lines in Indian state

By SHEIKH SAALIQ
Associated Press

UDUPI, India (AP) — Muslim students in a southern Indian state have found themselves at the center of a debate over hijab bans in schools. In question is the place of Islamic head coverings in the Hindu-majority but constitutionally secular nation. The issue has become a flashpoint for the battle over the rights of Muslims, who fear they are being shunted aside in the country as a minority. They see the restrictions as a worrying escalation of Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The hijab is worn by many Muslim women to maintain modesty or as a religious symbol, something mandated by their faith. Opponents consider it a symbol of oppression, something imposed on women.