Kochi, September 04: A 22-year-old aeronautical engineer, who was given police protection after her relatives threatened her for not using the purdah, says she hasn’t done any wrong by refusing to wear the veil.
Asserting that she was a true Muslim, Raihana R Kazi said, “I believe in Islam. I pray daily. I have not committed any mistakes till now.”
Raihana said after returning to Kasargod in Kerala from Chennai on completion of her course last month, some of her relatives had insisted that she should wear the customary dress normally worn by Muslim women while moving out in public places.
She said initially it was only her relatives but then she started receiving anonymous letters threatening to murder her. One of the letters had warned that she would be done to death by August 26 after she publicly refused to wear purdah. Raihana approached the Kerala High Court and she was provided with police protection.
“It is very sad such a thing is happening in a literate state like Kerala,” she told reporters here.
Raihana said there were rumours that she had married to one Jose and had converted to Christianity.
Raihana said many of her friends had expressed their support. “They are not openly coming out against wearing purdah because of fear,” she said.
Coming to Raihana’s support, All India Lawyers Union’s Kerala Unit had said a person has full freedom to wear any dress acceptable to the society and anyone enforcing a dress code on caste and religious consideration should be isolated.
Writer and social worker C S Chithra said it was unfortunate that a young Muslim girl, who opted to wear a dress of her choice had to seek the high court’s intervention for police protection after she had received threat letters which “is a shame and a dangerous trend”.
All those who believe in democracy and the Muslim community should come forward to protect Raihana’s civic and democratic rights, she said, adding, it was unfortunate that the state government had not taken her complaints seriously.
-Agencies