Hijab complaint
On Monday, the headmaster of a school on Indonesia’s main island disclosed that more than a dozen girls had their heads partially shaved. This action was taken after they were accused of incorrectly wearing their Islamic hijab headscarves.
Activists have pointed out that both Muslim and non-Muslim girls in conservative parts of this nation, which boasts a population of 270 million, have been compelled for years to wear the hijab. However, it’s worth noting that in 2021, Indonesia moved to ban schools from enforcing such mandatory dress codes.
According to the headmaster, Harto, an unidentified teacher at the state-owned junior high school SMPN 1 in the East Java town of Lamongan, partially shaved the hair of 14 Muslim girls last Wednesday.
Harto stated that the school had issued an apology, and the teacher had been suspended. The schoolgirls did not wear inner caps beneath their headscarves, which made their fringes visible. He clarified, “There is no obligation for female students to wear hijab, but they were advised to wear the inner caps for a neat appearance.”
He went on to say, “We apologized to the parents, and after mediation, we reached a common understanding.” Furthermore, the school pledged to provide psychological support to the students.
Human rights groups have called for the teacher’s dismissal. Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, commented, “The Lamongan case is probably the most intimidating ever in Indonesia. No teachers who have cut their students’ hair have ever been sanctioned. The education office in Lamongan should sanction this teacher, at least removing her from the school and assigning psychologists to deal with the trauma among the victims.”
In a 2021 report, the group highlighted instances where schoolgirls had their hijabs cut if they weren’t worn correctly, or they faced penalties and even expulsion for not wearing hijabs. This issue gained widespread attention in 2021 when a Christian student in West Sumatra was pressured to wear a hijab, a case described by officials as the “tip of the iceberg.”
