Muslim student approaches apex court on keeping of beard

All students must keep the genral norms. Dress code, appearence code, ethical, conduct, charector that should not be waived for students in community basis.

i agree with mr k c suresh.

Objecting to the remarks made by a Supreme Court judge over sporting of beards, a prominent Muslim cleric on Friday said the comments were against the Constitution and sought government's intervention on the matter.



The Shahi Imam of Delhi's Fatehpuri Masjid, Maulana Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, in his Friday sermon said Indian Muslims had no connection with Taliban and the remarks linking a beard to Taliban indicate negative feelings towards the community.



Ahmed demanded that a National Commission for Judges be formed to hear complaints against them and to check "if anything is being committed wrongly by our learned judges".



In a recent observation Justice Markande Katju had linked beards to Taliban, while rejecting a student's petition seeking quashing of a school regulation preventing him from sporting a beard.



"Justice Katju's remarks are against the secular Constitution of India and also indicate hidden feelings towards Muslims," Ahmed said.



"Muslims in India have no link to Taliban. They are Indian citizens and have legal and Constitutional rights to follow their religion," he said adding that the judgement is not tolerable in a secular country like India and appealed to the Union Law Minister, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi "to intervene in the matter".

Senior Muslim clerics in India say they may appeal a Supreme Court decision that ruled against a Muslim teenager who wanted to grow a beard even though his Catholic school requires students to be clean-shaven.

The 16-year-old student, Mohammad Salim, had already lost a state court battle over his right to grow a beard, which he believes is required by his Islamic faith.

Salim’s lawyer, retired judge B.A. Khan, argued in the Supreme Court that keeping a beard was an indispensable part of Islam. “But you (Justice Khan) don’t sport a beard,” countered Justice Markandeya Katju, who with Justice R.V. Raveendran constituted the bench hearing the appeal.

Leading Muslim clerics were angry over Katju’s observation that growing a beard was akin to promoting “Talibanization” in the country.

“This is a shocking remark and has hurt the sentiments of community members. We are planning to file a plea against the verdict,” said Maulana Mehmood Madni, a member of India’s upper house of parliament and a Muslim leader.

He added that Indian Muslim scholars “are vehemently opposed to Taliban and its dangerous agenda. The (Supreme Court) verdict may affect our efforts to quell misconceptions about Islam.”

Another leading cleric, Zafarul Islam Khan, called Katju’s remarks “unfortunate.” “Growing a beard is ... part of the Muslim faith. Our organization will approach the court against the verdict.”

Katju, in the course of the arguments, said secularism could not be overstretched and “Talibanization” of the country could not be permitted. “We don’t want to have Talibans in the country. Tomorrow a girl student may come and say that she wants to wear a burqa. Can we allow it?”

Muslim student moves SC again

 Supreme Court's judgment refusing a Muslim student's plea to sport beards in educational institutions by observing it would not permit 'Talibanisation of the country' has been challenged by the aggrieved youth by way of a fresh petition.

In his petition Salim, a student, had sought a review of the judgment and submitted that the observations on 'Talibanisation' had caused incalculable damage to the country's image and the judiciary, besides, hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community.

The student submitted through counsel Abdul Karim Ansari that the judgement needs to be reviewed afresh as the core issue of a Muslim's right to sport a beard as guaranteed by Article 25 was violated by the school.

Article 25 provides every citizen the right to practice his/her religion.

Salim, a student of Nirmala Convent Higher Secondary School, a government-recognised minority institution in Madhya Pradesh  had earlier challenged the institution's rule which prohibited students from sporting a beard in the school.

After the Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld the validity of the rule, Salim appealed in the apex court which dismissed his plea and observed that secularism cannot be overstretched and that "Talibanisation" of the country cannot be permitted.

Justice Markandeya Katju who was part of the bench with Justice R V Raveendran had observed, "We don't want to have Talibans in the country. Tomorrow a girl student may come and say that she wants to wear a burqa, can we allow it?"

The apex court then said a minority institution has its own set of rules and rights provided by Article 30 of the Constitution and the same cannot be breached by any person.

"If there are rules you have to follow. You can't say that I will not wear a uniform I will wear only a burqa," the bench had observed.

Challenging the said observations and judgement, Salim in his fresh petition submitted, "Observations of the judge regarding wearing of beard and burqa have done incalculable harm and damage to the country's prestige and image of its highly respected judiciary. These irrelevant and uncalled for observations have also triggered an avoidable debate on the right of the Muslim minority raising questions in the process on the manner and method of court functioning, besides hurting the feelings and sentiments of the community," the review petition stated.

The petition further stated the appeal against the high court order was passed without any proper reasoning as it involved a substantial question of law relating to a Muslim's right to sport a beard in an educational institution.

"The failure to do so constitutes a grave error of law and calls for a review of the impugned order," the petition added.

The Supreme Court (SC)'s judgment rejecting a Muslim boy's plea to sport a beard has evoked strong reactions from separatist groups and the clergy in Jammu and Kashmir.