The Muslim Education Society (MES) in Kerala has banned veils worn by students on campus, news reports claimed. MES is one of the largest minority education organisations, with over 100 institutions to its name. "MES that aims at the social and cultural progress of the Muslim community insists that the students, even while maintaining high standards in curricular and extra-curricular activities, do follow certain decorum in the dress code too. We should discourage all undesirable practices on the campuses," Times of India quoted the circular.
P.A. Fazal Gafoor, the president of MES, has been a vocal advocate against the usage of veil that covers the face. Gafoor had earlier claimed said the 'niqab', part of the 'purdah', was a western import and its prolonged use blocks sunlight, resulting in Vitamin D deficiency in many Muslim women. However, several Muslim organisations have already rejected the order.
Sri Lanka had, on Sunday, announced a ban on face covering, a week after Islamist militants carried out coordinated suicide bombings that killed 253 people. President Sirisena said he was using emergency powers to ban any form of face covering in public. The restriction will take effect from Monday, his office said in a statement.
"The ban is to ensure national security... No one should obscure their faces to make identification difficult," the statement said. It came days after local Islamic clerics urged Muslim women not to cover their faces amid fears of a backlash after the bombings carried out by jihadists affiliated to the Islamic State group.
