By N.M. Rishard –
N.M. Rishard
The demonstration that was staged by Hindu teachers of Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College in Trincomalee recently against Muslim teachers who work in the same school, urged me to write these paragraphs. First of all I emphasis that the violators of educational rules and regulations should be punished whoever it is without any discrimination and partiality. The law is for all and every citizens of this nation is equal in front of the court.
According to the sources, the principle of the college constantly requested Muslim teachers to remove their attire (Hijab and Habaya) and wear Saree which is the formal dress code of Hindu teachers. Some argue that the husbands of Muslim teachers came to the school and threatened the principal even though the Muslims refused this accusation. Their argument is that they came to the school in order to discuss on the instructions given already to Muslim teachers by the principal. This issue was erupted with a demonstration carried out by the Hindu teachers, in which they demanded to protect their Hindu culture. Finally, the temporary decision was achieved announcing that the Muslim teachers are transferred to some other schools.
The instruction as well as compulsion of Hindu teachers and the head of the school contradict with Sri Lanka’s constitution and the reality at the same time. Chapter three of the constitution provides enough guarantee to each and every citizens as follow:
10. Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.
11. No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
12.
(1) All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law.
(2) No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any such grounds:
Looking at the schools and its teacher panel all over the island provides us that the instruction given to the Muslim teachers in Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College is unethical and unlawful. On the one hand, we have number of schools that possess common names where students from different ethnicities pursue their study. Not only students, but also teachers, administrators and workers either minor or major with owning different religions and backgrounds contribute to the enhancement of the school. On the other hand, some schools are named as “Sinhalese college”, “Hindu College” and “Muslim college”, in which students and teachers from other ethnic groups are allowed to study or work without imposing any particular rules. All of them are given freedom in attire to follow their respective religious and cultural traditions. For instance, Hindu teachers are not compelled or even requested to wear the way Muslim teachers do in Muslim schools. In Sinhala schools, Muslim and Hindu teachers are allowed to follow what they wish. This is what we have been following for decades.
There were some exceptional cases that occurred in the history. For instance, in 2014 two students from grade 7 of Janadipathi Balika Vidyalaya, Nawala, were ordered to kneel down and worship the principal of the school after they on the advice of their parents attended school in the Panjabi attire. This order contradicts with the circular issued by the Ministry of Education in 1980 instructing all zonal directors that the Muslim girls should be permitted to enter the school with their traditional Punjabi attire which comprises a white frock, a shawl and a trouser.
Another transparent example was that, a group of 11 Muslim parents lodged a complaint at the former Western Province Governor Alawi Mawlana’s office claiming that their children were discriminated and harassed in their schools. They requested the Governor to intervene and inform the principals to allow the Muslim girls to go to their schools with their traditional attire in accordance with the circular of the Supreme Court.
What is dress code in Islam all about? Is it a religious practice or cultural? Providing a clear and adequate answer for these questions from the Islamic references is the only way to eliminate the prevailing misunderstandings. By reading all the Quranic verses and prophetic traditions that related to the dress code of Muslim women, we are able to come to a conclusion that there are few immutable and unchangeable laws in Islam while a greater space is given to the human being to make changes according to the prevailing context and culture. One of the main immutable laws that is imposed on every Muslim women where ever she lives, is she should conceal the entire body except the face and the hands. This instruction is not cultural, rather it is a religious order. The Arabic word “Hijab” means covering. Hijab not a particular design as understood by many. But, Muslim women have the total freedom to choose the colour, design and pattern of their dress according to the changing context. I don’t want to explain the whole discussions related to this topic here.
Objective of the dress code is also quite essential. The ultimate purpose is to protect the society as a whole and promote modest dressing and behavior. It creates a barrier between the sexes and allows us to conduct our lives with modesty, dignity and respect.
It is worth note that there is a deep and lengthy discussion on dress code of Muslim women within the Muslim society is being hold by its intellectuals. In particular, traditionalists and reformists have their own arguments. I’m quite sure that these discussions will furnish the topic and it will have a positive impact on the collective phycology of the society. Additionally, it should be highlighted that imposing or compelling from outside the community is very much different than having critical discussions within the society and evolving itself for a bright future.
*N.M. Rishard – MPhil Student – Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia
Estate Labourer / May 1, 2018
“One of the main immutable laws that is imposed on every Muslim woman where ever she lives, is she should conceal the entire body except the face and the hands.”
If that is so, how come Belly Dancing originated in Muslim countries and is commonly performed in a large number of Muslim countries?
According to Islam is it immoral to perform or to watch Belly Dancing?
Belly Dancers appear frequently in my dreams!
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Ralli Ameen / May 1, 2018
As your name indicate you are a labourer so what do you know about belly dancing. Originally this was the dance of gypsies and ghawazee gypsies took this to Egypt and when it became popular spread to other countries. Ballet is a form of belly dance, danse du veture is french belly dance, Greeks had their own version of belly dance and in India there are varieties of belly dance. Don’t you see them in movies? It is immoral to watch any provocative dances for Muslims and that does not mean everybody don’t watch.
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Spring Koha / May 1, 2018
What business is it of anyone about how a woman dresses? As long as the woman is not indecent, she should be allowed to choose her own style. The problem is that there are too many busy bodies in our blessed land seeking out excuses to criticise and condemn those who do not ‘conform’. This is the root of all our problems.
R E S P E C T and T O L E R A N C E whatever happened to those noble concepts?
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Amarasiri / May 1, 2018
N.M. Rishard , RE: Spring Koha’s Comment:
“What business is it of anyone about how a woman dresses? “
This is dictated by the Ulama and Imams, and passed on to Muslim men who dictate to their wives. Why? Because they have been told, brainwashed to think that women are chattel. Just look at the MMDA.
Amarasi is aware that some Imams have told the Muslim women that if they do not wear the Abaya and wear the Saree,they will end up in Hell-fire, and many women are under cultural and peer pressure to conform.
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sinhalese buddhist / May 1, 2018
Why is a man the main spokesperson for what a woman “Should” wear? Aren’t there any muslim ladies in Sri Lanka, who can speak to the relevance of hijab to their religion and whether it is compulsory or not?
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Real Revolutionist / May 1, 2018
Yes this man is a fool.
Shame for Malaysia for giving such idiot an education.
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Fathima / May 1, 2018
Hello Real Revolutionist, if someone reads your comment, they would have the same feeling about SL in your cases – Why do you think it is the women who should raise grievances of other women?
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Real Revolutionist / May 1, 2018
Fathima
“Why do you think ……………………………. of other women?”
As far as human rights is concerned, anybody whether men or women can raise each other’s questions.
Men can raise women’s grievances & vice versa. That’s civilized world.
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Fathima / May 1, 2018
sinhalese buddhist:
What difference it’s going to make, if a man speaks or woman speaks about the same subject and the fact? As if saying men doctors can’t be gynecologists because they don’t understand the labour pain.
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soma / May 1, 2018
Women must be FREE to wear (or not to wear) as they wish. While it is highly unethical, unconstitutional for non Muslims to demand Muslim women to change their dress it is more unethical and definitely unconstitutional to force a dress code on them. Both parties are trying to impose dress codes on Muslim women! Poor souls. On this account Islam appears to contradict our Constitution.
Soma
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Real Revolutionist / May 1, 2018
Soma
Many facets for this matter; from the human rights point of view nobody can force anybody to dress against their wish.
Even a religious leader or unseen god can’t propose a dress code for anybody.
So isn’t it highly abusive for Muslim men to require their women to be in a dress code.
Can you assure as a woman (I assume) that according to natural female behavior, is it possible to have a mind set to cover the whole body without even letting cleavage be seen..
In a country where fashionable men & women roam here & there proudly, can we expect females of a selected group to appear negatively/differently.
Isn’t it anti-social?
Why should we allow this discrimination to continue? Why should we let HR violations
behind religious thought.
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Faraj / May 1, 2018
Real Revolutionist: you’re clearly with limited capacity.
1: Your argument should support that Muslim men enforce women to wear Abaya. Even if they do, and if the wives are willing to do, what is the matter with you guys?
Did you wife tell you that she being a woman, can’t resist not showing her cleavage? If so bro, you’re unlucky to have a wife who does not have any self-confidence and depends on her cleavage :-) Please spend some time with your wife to teach her some self-confidence.
please learn that not all women are the same.
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Fathima / May 1, 2018
I have not heard any schools such as “Muslim Ladies College” or “Muslim Maha Vidyalams” have asked the Tamil teachers to wear Abaya or erase their Pottus and attend to school. So, I guess similar privilege in accordance with the law and/or mutual respect should have been shown by the Tamil principal.
Having said that, is there a real reason why those Muslim teachers’ husbands should go to meet the principal even to discuss the instructions given to their wives? Is there something the husbands could achieve through meeting the principal that their wives, the teachers under the same principal could not?
Looks like both parties have messed up the situation
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Sarrij / May 1, 2018
What a funny “country”?
What business has a school principle got to do with dress codes of teachers?; as long as it is acceptable by the general public.
It seems like a lame excuse; does not make any sense !
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Al-faqurlah / May 2, 2018
Sarrij the Islamic pissa, “as long as it is acceptable by the general public”. This is where the action taken by that brave principal is correct because majority of the general public want this type of Islamic dress banned. It is your fanatic idiots who are giving lame excuses to unleash Islamic terror on non-Muslims. Yes this is a funny country for tolerating this Islamic madness for such a long time. Enough is enough.
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Fathima / May 1, 2018
Leave it to Muslim women. They are intelligent and capable to choose their own dress!
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Real Revolutionist / May 1, 2018
Muslim Intelligence!
Muslim men don’t have such a thing.
Do women have?
Under abaya, on the instruction of brainless men?
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Mohamed / May 1, 2018
Real Revolutionist:
1:Muslim men are idiots because they don’t make their wives into cash-cows and send them crushed in crowded buses daily in the morning and evening for few bucks to cover their inabilities.
2: Muslim men are dumbs that they don’t make their wives into Arab’s slaves for covering their lazy bums and boozing budget.
3: Muslim men are fools because they don’t jump in front of a running train or into a river with the infants or kids to avoid facing life’s challenges.
Seems your definition of intelligence suits well for SL. Please don’t be “hisso” (prawn). I stopped the list at no. 3 with respect for other good people.
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Real Revolutionist / May 1, 2018
Mohamed
I might have called a particular person idiot. (not to hurt him but just to make what I say strong).
There’re idiots in any social group so pls don’t take my word so offensively.
1. Majority Non Muslims (as in case of Muslims) don’t make women cash cows but as they enjoy equal rights they work, go hand in hand with men & women even in crowded buses etc.
It’s not for their men’s inabilities.
2. It’s govt. policy fault but when women are shown opportunity to earn they go for it without seeing the negative side of it.
There must be dignity for labor, so blame them but don’t insult.
Why don’t you make a voice against sending women (whether Muslim or non Muslim) to Arab countries if you feel it’s slavery? You have a right for that.
.3. In Muslim community (as I understand) basics are given & women are required to be happy with it. It may be a paradise or fools paradise.
But non-Muslim women want more than basics & they go for it.
They may make serious errors through misusing freedom. This is a sad situation.
Committing suicide is a serious social issue but answer is not Islam.
There’s one thing that I can’t understand, Anybody has a hidden desire to be naked or close to be naked.
It’s innocent & natural.
Why don’t Muslim women have it?
Who’s grabbed that desire from them?
Sad to say, I hold Muslim men responsible for it.
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Mohamed / May 1, 2018
RR,
“they enjoy equal rights they work, go hand in hand with men & women” – Just landed in SL? Check the salary difference between men and women, ask bosses why they prefer hiring men (who will say men can work after 10pm also), ask how the poor women being sexually harassed in the crowded buses, ask some of the women the torture they have been facing and they will tell you, in the office the sex maniac boss and at home drunkard hubby.
If you continue to cheat SL women and say they have the right and freedom and can be equal, it is their destiny – In SL the basic freedom of walking alone after 8pm is questionable, forget about equal rights. A foreign women with her boyfriend or husband is not safe and being raped and killed, a 80 year old is being raped by a boy as young as 20 here – You’re talking about women freedom and equal rights?
“Anybody has a hidden desire to be naked or close to be naked” – Be naked in your bedroom or home. If you walk naked on the street, you are considered a mad guy in our culture. Before me, a monks will come and kill you to destroy Buddhist values :-)
Buddhism preaches you to control desires. In the case of naked, it is okay. What if you desire to be a pilot in a large passenger flight? As a human-being you should also know how to be in control of yourself. Teach this to your children and wife too.
Now you understand that FREEDOM is not something that lets you do whatever you dream of.doing it.
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Real Revolutionist / May 1, 2018
Mohamed
There are crimes committed against both men & women. I agree women are more prone to such situations but that should not be a reason to limit their social participation.
There’s law to deal with criminals & women must be strengthened with knowledge & physical strength to face such situations. The deeply rooted belief that women are weak must be given up.
You may be right to say hiring a man is more advantageous than hiring a woman so there’s nothing wrong in it. But what we see practically is different to that.
Visit public or private working place to see both men & women work equally. To my knowledge there’re no different salary scales for men & women.
I think unlike in the past our women are always ready to slap any trouble maker in public transport service.
My statement, “There’s hidden desire for anybody to be naked” does not mean that we have unlimited, wild freedom to behave in such manner. In civilized society both men & women must behave moderately without losing decency & to my thought there should not be strict rule for dress for both men & women.
There must be proper understanding & respect to individual aspirations & nobody should be allowed to restrict others freedom.
Mohamed, being fashionable is very innocent. Both men & women have faces hands, legs, hair etc. if exposing full face is bad for women it must be bad for men as well.
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Amarasiri / May 3, 2018
Real Revolutionist ,
” Muslim Intelligence!,Muslim men don’t have such a thing.”
The do have the natural intelligence from human evolution. However, when brainwashed by the Ulama and the Imams, the intelligence decreases.
Same story for Sinhala Buddhists, Tamil Hindus and Christian Tamil and Sinhala, to a lesser degree.
“Religion is the opium of the masses” Karl Marx.
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Rajash / May 1, 2018
why should Muslim women subject to such a torture…and why is that in the CT Forum only Muslim men are standing up to uphold the rights aka torture of Muslim women and then frequent the posh hotel bars of Colombo and KL
Even in in Saudi Arabia they have recognized it and gradually liberating the Muslim Women.
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Ben Hurling / May 1, 2018
“It is worth note that there is a deep and lengthy discussion on the dress code of Muslim women within the Muslim society is being held by its intellectuals.”
How on earth is it possible to be intellectual and believe in the utter rubbish the so-called religious are ordered to follow without question? Intellect and blind-faith do not exactly go hand-in-hand, do they?
Cheers!
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Mallaiyuran / May 1, 2018
” 10. Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.
11. No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
12.(1) All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law.
(2) No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any such grounds: “
This guy should be kicked out of the Philosophy class room for quoting this type of irrelevant thing. The school is not asking anybody not to practice any religion. A religion inside a school is only an education – subject. In side school, it is not a practice. A tantric cannot go school nude claiming she/he is practicing her/his religion inside the school. A school has it tradition and rules. Schools are not churches or Mosques or Temples. They have to be secular places free from any religious IDs. Sari is Lankawe’s national dress, wearing it is not practicing Hinduism or preventing Islam. There is no Hindu uniform is enforced in that school, but Islam uniform is prevented.
Further a school principal has no way to determine an Abaya is made according the Islam books, so she cannot confirm a dress is an Abaya. In those circumstances she should be able to order all educationists to stay with local customs, not any imported and not officially prescribed by education department. It is not a Principal Job to investigate the Abaya format and pass approvals.
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Mohamed / May 1, 2018
Malla,
That Tamil principal is clever. She seems to plan to land in EU via airports. But this principal should have learned a good exemplary lesson from SL Government that did not ban Tamil women wearing a bras after several Tamil women suicide bombers were caught red-handed with embedded explosive devices in their bras at the check points (also called “bra-bombs”). So far, Abaya has done nothing wrong to the national security compared to those bras, so why stop them?
By the way bro, SL does not have a national dress, but traditional dresses. So, sari is NOT Sri Lanka’s national dress – Lankawe is an English name for imaginary Eelam or what?
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Mallaiyuran / May 1, 2018
We understand how the paid cookies are twisting this into much many directions to seek a victory. I understand why you are flying to EU, where many countries now imposing penalty plus imprisonment for excessive Muslim dresses. The women are even removed from beaches, for wearing non-beach customs. You should leave Arabian culture to Arabia, Western culture to West. Lankawe was ruled by Europeans for 350 years. We picked up only modest intelligent things from them. We become Middle East Coolies only last 30 days. I am sure we afford to leave what we saw there in their land back.
This is a Appe Aanduwa game it seems, to turn Muslims attention somewhere else before it bring in next Kandy.
” Further a school principal has no way to determine an Abaya is made according the Islam books, so she cannot confirm a dress is an Abaya. In those circumstances she should be able to order all educationists to stay with local customs, not any imported and not officially prescribed by education department. It is not a Principal Job to investigate the Abaya format and pass approvals. “.
Read my comment. Education department has not said what the uniform to Teachers is. Education department did say how a Abaya going to look like. In those circumstances, Principal’s judgement prevails. She has the authority to enforce a decent dress that brings less tension within her environment. Abaya is not a dress. It is uniform. Principal is ordering only to follow a national custom. Any court will uphold this. In Colombo Sinhala School, the principal wanted parents keep their faces open when they pickup children so that her watchdog group can identify who picking which child. Court thought it was outside her jurisdiction. So Court still allowed parents to wear the cloth they want. The Muslims Politicians are using that to place their advertisement in the Medias. That has to be stopped.
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Mallaiyuran / May 1, 2018
Sari is not enforced by any specialty group in Lankawe and requesting to wear when decency needed is not forcing any one into any group member ID. In Lankawe, Sinhalese Muslims and Tamils wear it. It is a common dress for the entire country. Bangladesh and Pakistan like Muslim countries too, wears it as their countries’ traditional dress.
Sari is not a Hindu Uniform. Hindu temples do have dress codes for women other than request to observe decency. There was a practice that men should not wear any upper body garments which assumed to be the person’ status indicator in the olden days, including their castes, while servicing God. It is only to show respect, but now followed only by male priests.
Abaya is a Muslim Uniform. A community activist will have to file a community interest case at Supreme Court and have the Abaya declared as Religious uniform, not ordinary dress and not accepted for all purposes.
Abaya is not a dress, but a religious, Uniform. A dress is anything a person wears under normal circumstances. A uniform is prescribed how it has to appear and how it should be stitched. Properties of a Uniform are carefully studied by the relevant organization and are prescribed on its member only for those circumstances only. Abaya is prescribed how it has to be made, by religious enforcers. So a person wearing Abaya cannot claim that he/she wearing a normal dress and it should be acceptable to any location at any occasion. A pilot cannot war a municipal worker uniform and fly and a Municipality worker cannot wear Pilot Uniform and start his garbage truck to his collecting job. A person wearing Abaya has to staying with in her boundary, should not attempt to impose it in other places.
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Mallaiyuran / May 1, 2018
If the teachers were really affected, there are directions given to them by the education department. They should have followed it, instead sending husbands to handle these matters for them.
They have filed a case against the School. As a case filed in court, all other actives about the case should go away by the affected parties. Here after the teachers’ Muslim husbands and other male activists carrying out a large threat campaign against Tamil community should stop these outrages public propagandas.
The Muslim Husband attempted brings the Principal under the male control culture, but later spreading stories that the principal is a liar. If the Muslims males not interfering into this matter, first they should stay away and only there parties have to continue on this, Muslim teachers/their lawyers- School admiration- and the education department. Why irrelevant ministers like Rishard, Hakeem, and Faiszer are in that? I came to know that Rishard, without sending any letter to Sampanthar, but couple of days ago, published a letter to Sampanthar on media that he should solve this. May I know under what capacity Rishard is in that and under what capacity he is asking Sampanthar to get involved into that?
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Mallaiyuran / May 1, 2018
I did not come across any female Muslim teacher giving any interview about their grievances on this matter to any media reporters. But Muslim male politicians are turning out there not any stone left in this matter for them other than victory. To get the matter out of education department and force it fully political matter, they have called President to overrule the district’s educational authorities. They called Education minister to overrule the district administrator’s decisions. They launched filthy campaign degrading Tamil women as low grade indecent people. It is the Male dominant action created this problem. Somebody asked if these Muslim male propagandists would have done the same thing art Royal College and then Ranil would sit and watch it too?
This type of using threat and forcing witnesses are so detrimental to the country’s peaceful co-existence. It was Hakeem who created the current worthless witness protection codes when he was the Justice Minister. There has to be full protections to witness to speak truth and stay with that. The entire Hindu community came to know the case only after the Muslim Males started to apply the Muslim law over the school & against the female Principal. The education department has to issue circular to all school any outside misogyny personalities running school for the women inside must be reported to it immediately.
Urgent need is Education department has to bring the schools under its control, should not let it under female teachers’ husbands’ control.
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fatma / May 2, 2018
WHY CAN’T THIS BUGGER EXPLAIN HIMSELF IN FEW LINES DAMN?
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Lankan No 1 / May 1, 2018
Best thing ask Tamil teachers who come to Muslim and sinahalse schools not to wear their sharies and not to have mark on their heads .
Ask Tamil Male teachers to have circumcision before they come to Muslim schools ..
So; they could see why we object to this right.
Each community need to.protrct their religious rites and rights
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Al-faqurlah / May 1, 2018
Rishard the stupid Islamic fanatic. Do not try pour oil into fire while residing in Malaysia, where there is open racial discrimination against non-Muslims. You are quoting Koran regarding dress code for women. According to you Muslim women in Sri Lanka had violated this requirement all these days. Why are the Muslim women want to interpret Koran in a fundamental way now. Is this not proof of foreign Islamic agencies meddling in Sri Lanka thereby bringing dispute between Muslims and others. Islamic fundamentalism is a form on non-violent Islamic terrorism. Stop referring to laws and regulations and behave according to reality. There is writing on the wall issued by Sinhalese that Muslims should stop fundamentalism and Arabisation. Now Tamils have joined that demand. Could you let us know why the following took place :
1. Why Muslim teachers are continued to be appointed to Tamil schools when there are several qualified Tamils are being unemployed.
2. Why Muslim women who were obeying to the dress traditions of this Hindu school, suddenly decide that they want to disobey. This shows that there is some foreign elements who want to create trouble to Tamils.
3. Has any Muslim woman ever demanded to wear Abhaya when coming to work in a Sinhala school, and if not clearly shows that Muslims are afraid of Sinhalese, and only want to hit Tamils whom they think are helpless.
4. Why should Muslim women who get posted to a Hindu school, who know very well that it has a separate culture and tradition than Islam, without refusing to accept the appointment, report for work and then start to give trouble.
5. Will Muslim school allow any non-Muslim teacher to consume pork in the compound during lunch break. Eating whatever you like is a fundamental right, and do you not foresee that Sinhala agitators will use this as an excuse.
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Faraj / May 1, 2018
“Has any Muslim woman ever demanded to wear Abhaya when coming to work in a Sinhala school, and if not clearly shows that Muslims are afraid of Sinhalese, and only want to hit Tamils whom they think are helpless”
Hey condom-broke, didn’t I tell, half your brain sticked to thrown-away condom? Now you’re proving. Muslims and Sinhalese have better understanding through out the history and neither community is venomous to other communities peaceful living. There is one community which behaves like a snake, that prays, plots, dreams, plans, enjoys and God know what-else it is doing to see every downfall of this country just because the country became a sour grape in 2009.
If we have to be afraid, of course. Mere 9% have to be afraid of great 70%. We won’t create Pirabakarans or get help from TN to sort out our issues either. We might have issues between us, but we can sort it out through understanding. If one Sinhalese says not to wear Abaya, there will be 100 Sinhalese to oppose it, unlike among Tamils who only wants Eelam and then next target is to enslave their low-castes like you – You better concentrate on it.
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Al-faqurlah / May 1, 2018
Rafaj you stupid Islamic infidel, the tip severed with entire brain stuck to thrown away skin, stop your idiotic rants and learn to live with others ditching barbaric practices. If you say that there is good understanding between Sinhalese and Muslims and can sort out the problem, I can suggest an excellent way to achieve it. The problem of Islamic dress is the colour and the origin. So all Muslim women whom you say have no ill will against Sinhalese, must go to their houses and beg or borrow or buy the used sarongs of Sinhala men and wear them to cover the entire body of Muslim women. If this is done no Sinhalese can complain about the colour or origin of the Islamic dress. It is well accepted that Sinhala sarong even second hand has a better aroma compared to unclean cloth of low bred Arabs. You say that if one Sinhalese oppose Abhaya, nine will not, is your imagination. If you take a survey among Sinhalese, you will be surprised that almost 100% of them want a ban on all forms of Arabic dresses which they view as an insult to dignity of mankind and brings a picture of gloom to their glamorous thrice blessed nation.
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fatma / May 2, 2018
Faraj:
The poor guys has no option to go for better branded condoms in prostitution. He might have used the one given by the pro.
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Jim softy / May 1, 2018
RISHAD: what you are writing is LIES. There is no muslim DRESS CODE eventhough you people try to legitatimize one. .There are all sorts of items of dress which are worn by Muslim women, and these vary all over the world. Sharia (Islamic law) does not require women to wear a burqa (Arab.: بُرقع ; Persian: پرده ;Urdu: also known as chadri or paranja in Central Asia; translit.: transliterated burkha, bourkha, burka or burqu’) is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions to cover their bodies when in public. Burqas belong to particular areas of the world, where they are considered normal dress. In other parts of the world the dress is totally different. The rule of dress for women is modesty; the word hijab (حجاب) means “cover,” “screen,” or “curtain,”and refers to both a specific form of veil worn by some Muslim women and the modest Islamic style of dress in general. Muslim women are required to observe the hijab in front of any man they could theoretically marry. This means that hijab is not obligatory in front of the father, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or young children. Hijab does not need to be worn in front of other Muslim women, but there is debate about what can be revealed to non-Muslim women). Modesty rules are open to a wide range of interpretations. Some Muslim women wear full-body garments that only expose the eyes, although there is no Quranic text requiring this extreme. Some cover every part of the body except their face and hands. Some believe only their hair or their cleavage is compulsory to hide, and others do not observe any special dress rules.
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Jim softy / May 1, 2018
I know South Indian Tamils creted disharmony between Sinhala abd Tamils. Now you Malaysians come and try to influence muslims in Sri lanka. I say JUST STAY AWAY. What I heard, muslims in that school want the Hindu Teachers to wear the SO_CALLEd ISlamic dress code when there is no such thing in Islam except among WAHABIS. What do you know about Sri lanka. I think, probably your Mphil is from the Islamic university and do you think Hindus are uneducated barbarians the way Wahabis behave. You have written really a stupid article. Do you know Sri lankan customs. IT is a custom to knell infront of the teachers and adults when children do something wrong and ask for forgiveness. Why do you write about things that you do not know. You are not even from Sri lanka. do we come and exdplain how you muslims should live in Malaysia. If you want, take those Maly muslims back. Ask your govt to take them back.
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Jim softy / May 1, 2018
Sri lanka is promoting Racism and discrimination among children by allowing Hindu Specific, Muslim specific, christian specific, sinhala specific scholls. Sri lanka is a buddhist country and promote that everybody is the same. when they promote christian/Catholic and Islamic culture in Sri lanka that is really contradictory, offensive to the Srilankan culture and also what the govt practice. that is reconciliation and that all are one nation. Please do not talk about things you do not know.
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Jim softy / May 1, 2018
YOu as a muslim and as muslims are always towards your own and at other believers, have been very dishonest. Another article says it is a Hindu college. Why In side a Hindu college hinduis cannot wear the Hindu attire and why Muslims can not accept the same practice. Tell me why it should not be.
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Jim softy / May 1, 2018
Rishad: Did ISlamic Council of Sri lanka or Jamaia….something force you to write this article ? do not try to involve in Sri lankan affairs. Instead ask your govt to sponser the muslims from your country back to Malaysia.
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Shokku Masta / May 1, 2018
It is unfortunate even deplorable that some students and teachers are not able to dress modestly and as they please without being subjected to impositions that their dress must conform to standards that satisfy some persons in authority.
The discussion about what is right, what sort of dress is appropriate can and should continue with decorum and consideration for other points of view. Arab dress, in close proximity, might be threatening to some people in Sri Lanka and we need to be better aware of this. Modesty should be a standard for all, but what the standard is will be debated see.
https://bisthanbatcha.wordpress.com/2017/01/04/are-arab-dress-codes-being-referred-to-erroneously-as-islamic-dress-codes/
The seeming demand to wear face covering as a religious right has to be negotiated and adjusted and since Sri Lanka is not a middle eastern islamic nation, some adjustments might be needed – to identify persons when sitting examinations, entering areas where proof of identity is needed
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Amarasiri / May 1, 2018
N.M. Rishard,
“The demonstration that was staged by Hindu teachers of Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College in Trincomalee recently against Muslim teachers who work in the same school, urged me to write these paragraphs.”
“According to the sources, the principle of the college constantly requested Muslim teachers to remove their attire (Hijab and Habaya) and wear Saree which is the formal dress code of Hindu teachers.”
Are there any Catholic Nuns in the school? How are they dressing?
From where did the saree and Abaya come from? India, Arabia? Therefore everybody agrees that they are Paras in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho.
They should all wear the Native Veddah dress code. When in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, do as the Veddah do.
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Real Siva Sankaran Sharma / May 1, 2018
Nuns only teach in Catholic schools and they are a religious order. This teacher does not belong to a religious order . Hijab and Habaya are not compulsory Muslim attire and nowhere in Koran does it state women must wear the Hijab, Abaya or go around in Purdah. The saree is the national and traditional dress of all the women in this country. Hindus, Christians Buddhist and Muslims, as well as in India Pakistan and Bangladesh.. Not the religious dress of the Hindus. Hindu women in Kerala wear the cloth and jacket and Hindu women in North India , wear the Salwar Kameez( especially in the Punjab. Haryana, Himachel and Kashmir) or what you commonly refer here as the Punjabi. Muslim and Sikh women also wear the Salwar Kameez. It is not a Muslim dress. In India especially in the north everyone wears this. It was introduced by the Muslims but now not considered Islamic. Even many Arab women in the Gulf and in Central Asia wear this as their traditional dress. If you want to be modest, you can wear a saree and cover your head like Muslim women in the island did a generation ago and still many do. Instead of wearing some Arab costume originating from the Middle East or Western Asia in a Hindu School where the dress form is secular. She is not wearing the traditional dress belonging to the Muslims of this land but a Wahhabi Arab fundamentalist dress and insist as being Islamic.
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Real Siva Sankaran Sharma / May 1, 2018
conted: This act was a very deliberate and done to provoke. She or any other Muslim would not have dared to have done this in a Sinhalese school but they deliberately do this to the Tamils, especially to Hindu Tamils, as they feel that they are now powerless and marginalised so can get away with this. These Sri Lankan Muslims are Tamils by ethnicity, especially the ones from the North East and North West, wearing Hijab Abhaya Nikab or Purdah has never been part of their culture . These are all recent Wahhabi Arab customs that they have recently imported into the island and are now busy packaging it as traditional Sri Lankan Islamic( Bullshit) and trying to impose this dress code on Hindu Tamil institutions. Why are Muslim teachers deliberately being recruited on a large scale to Tamil schools , when thousands of competent Tamils graduates are unemployed. This a deliberate attempt to marginalise and make to Tamils third rates in their own land , especially in the east. Deliberately recruiting an Abaya wearing Islamic fundamentalist woman to a Hindu Tamil institute is an act of provocation. If she wants to do all this she can do to some Islamic school and not in Buddhist Hindu Christian schools. No one is stating not to recruit Muslims but they should learn to be secular if they want to teach in schools belonging to other religions. Next she will insist on bringing beef and openly consuming at this Hindu institution and stating it is her right too. Will these Muslims tolerate is the Tamils did the same to them? Why is her husband involved in this and other Muslim men and politicians blaspheming Tamils and Hindus on various social sites? They are trying to cow down and marginalise the Tamils in their ancient eastern land and steal and this Sinhalese government is encouraging them.
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Real Siva Sankaran Sharma / May 1, 2018
contd: There is a freedom of speech and freedom to dress what you like but you do it wisely and not use it as an instrument to deliberately provoke, humiliate and create fear amongst others. Then it is not freedom. Why without the Wahhabi Arab Abaya Hijab or Purdah she become less modest or less Islamic? So her mother and grandmother who were wearing the traditional Sri Lankan Tamil Muslim dress the saree and covering their head, just like even North Indian Hindu women do we all less modest , evil and in Islamic. What is this urge to be some pathetic carbon clones of the Gulf Arabs amongst these South Indian origin Dravidian Tamil Sri Lankan Muslims? Is they who are creating chaos. Tamil Hindus are not going to Muslim schools and creating chaos but they are now entering Tamil Hindu schools and are forcibly trying to impose their Wahhabi Islamic dress code and behaviour. This must stop. Why is this very South India looking Tamil Muslim man from Malaysia getting involved in this? Malay Muslims in Malaysia derogatively call the Tamil Muslims like him in Malaysia ” MamaK” and treat them as second class to Malays. Let him bother about that , instead of attacking Tamil Hindus in eastern Sri Lanka
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Faraj / May 1, 2018
RSS:
Then why didn’t SL Govt ban Tamil Women wearing bras? Had they banned many bombs could have prevented, including Rajiv Gandhi’s life.
You guys should thank Muslims for using this ugly Tamil language without considering the damages to their self-respect since Tamil being a terrorist language here in SL.
Secondly, it is because of Muslims, your Tamil language is still surviving in SL after you all have flown or swam or floated to EU/AU in search of economic property to support the war with too many lies western govts
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Real Siva Sankaran Sharma / May 2, 2018
Demented rantings from an immigrant low caste South Indian Dravidian Tamil , who is delusional and has been brainwashed to think that he is an Arab and not a Dravidian . Muslims in the island speak Tamil because they are Tamil by ethnicity and this is their heritage. What an idiot calling his own mother tongue that is the oldest classical language in the world, as useless. Shows his mindset. Runsdown his own Tamil origin and heritage in the name of Islam and a fake Arab origin. Tamils were forced to leave the island in their thousands due to Sinhalese racists and Muslim opportunists like you. Now you largely low caste converted Indian Tamil immigrants from South India , who only came to the east as refugees a few centuries ago due to the kindness of Hindu Tamils are trying to steal the ancient Tamil east from us and Islamise our schools and institutions by demanding to wear alien Arab Islamic fundamentalist Abaya Purdah Hijab and follow Islamic customs in Hindu schools stating it is your right. We since we Tamils are the original people of the east , we demand statues of Hindu gods to installed at all Muslim schools. No one objects if you wore the traditional Tamil Islamic dress for women. The saree with the end covering your head. This what Tamil Muslim women wore for centuries and was part of their culture. Were they less Islamic or modest. We are objection to alien Arab black Abhayas , Hijabs and Purdah that is very fundamentalist and has nothing to do with local culture Hindu or Muslim. We are not Arabs but Tamils Hindu or Muslim
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Faraj / May 2, 2018
RSSS:
Be realistic, now you have landed in AU as a refugee, what language gives your daily bread? What language helped you get settled? Tamil? LOL
Only thing Tamil language could do to you was that whenever you guys got your bums kicked hard enough by the SL forces for being traitors, your relative Vaiko from TN politics and Vijakanth a TN actor staged protests for nothing.
Stop talking about fabricated refugee histories and work on sorting out your own current refugee status. Now it is enough cheating EU governments with lies and tarnishing SL name to maintain refugee status to earn more money. Have some self-respect and dignity, come back home and live here, though SL does not miss people like you.
Come RSSS, learn from us, how to live a better life in SL without running away as a refugee.
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kolla / May 1, 2018
Life should be about freedom and choice.
Any ideology which prescribes an uniform dress( Mao suits in China, caste based dress in India etc) are only symbols of oppression. We may have personal thoughts about a religion but I don’t have to dress like all the rest who follow that religion
We are not some circus animals performing according to some ancient idea.Nor do we belong to some army taking orders from religious bosses.
Why religions still has such a hold on us is because humans are weak and stupid essentially.
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The Sinopian / May 1, 2018
This has happened in other schools too. It is obviously a concerted effort by the Tamils. Signs of a larger and deeper problem.
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gamini / May 1, 2018
Although some believe that God created man, others believe it is man that created God. God certainly did not create clothes for man. It is man who created clothes for man. Therefore I wonder how when Jesus was crucified in a span cloth, three days later he is supposed to have risen, all dressed in a long garb. Who tailored it for him?
Be it hijab, nicab, habaya or burka all have been created by man and not God. Early humans living in Asia have been comfortable living nude or semi nude with the least clothing. This does not mean that today’s Asians should run around naked. Similarly due to reasons of weather such long dresses would have provided the warmth. Therefore to force it on women today living in different climates that do not require such attire, but to impose as a Religious requirement is plain stupid.
The writer quoting the Constitution does not mention that this form of dress should be allowed to be worn as a right of an individual to display faith. If the rules of a Country require easy identification, in today’s context the Country has every right to ban this mode of dress, as it is a security risk.
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Real Revolutionist / May 1, 2018
N.M. Rishard
Respect the creator;
All the niceties have been created to be seen & appreciated by all; not to be kept hidden.
Tamil teachers are perfectly correct.
It’s not Muslim women ( earlier Sinhala & Tamil) it’s those aggressive, brainless men must be transferred to somewhere else.
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Morgiana / May 1, 2018
Imagine female Muslim soldiers,sailors,Airwomen and Police women wearing head gear..Do not go to such schools. It is like criticising drinking Toddy in a tavern
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Shajeeth / May 1, 2018
Being a Muslim and with the knowledge i know of the Religion, it clearly states that men and women need to dress modestly. This doesn’t state a dress code anywhere in religion. It’s every person’s fundamental right to wear what they want, and if wearing modestly is a crime; then we fail as humans
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Sadhu / May 1, 2018
This lady teacher and other four Muslim teachers were not wearing hijab or habaya to the school prior to this incident. Does it mean that they were committing sin all these years? Haven’t their husbands noticed it up to now? Who was behind this sudden change in dress that disrupted peace and smooth functioning of the school?
Only one teacher suddenly started wearing hijab while others were not. When the school principal protested, the husband of that teacher went to the school and threatened the Principal and told that he will make other teachers too to wear hijab. Protest by Tamils would not have taken place if there was no threatening behaviour by teacher’s husband. Husband should have gone to the education Dept and made a complaint instead of threatening a female Principal. Rishard, if he is a reasonable minded person, should condemn this behaviour first.
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Ad / May 1, 2018
Similar to spanish bull ring issue. Dress code is for decency. Just because a religious tradition exists in the form of (Hijab and Habaya) covering the face and body, if such dresses cause security concern or communal irritation, better to give up rather than invigorate hatred and disgust among communities. If cannot comply change the religion, so that can live in peace.
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