Kerala woman declined permission to wear purdah, drops joining teaching course

Kozhikode: A Muslim woman has dropped her plan to join a teacher training course at an institute in neighbouring Malappuram district after the institution told her that she could not attend classes wearing 'Purdah'.

Husna, decided not to pursue her BEd course at Jamia Nadwiya Teacher Training Institute run by Kerala Naduvathul Mujahideen (KNM), a Muslim organisation.

"We decided that Husna will wear Purdah as it would be more comfortable and safer than sari and approached the authorities even though there is a stipulation in the institute that students should wear sari three days in a week as uniform", Husna's husband P Harshad Muhammed said when contacted.

Harshad said that he had written a letter to KNM pointing out that some other institutions run by Muslim organisations allowed students to attend classes wearing Purdah.

But the authorities at the institute refused her plea stating that there was a dress code in the institution, he said.

"In this circumstance, she has decided to drop the plan of joining the institute", he said.

When contacted, a senior official of the institution said rules could not be relaxed for an individual.

"If we relax the rule for one person now, there will be such demands from others also", the official said.