Old Photo Shared as India’s Protests Against the Hijab Ban in Schools
The Claim
A photo of recent protests in India against the ban on wearing hijabs in schools.
News posted on
Emerging story
A photo circulating recently on news websites and Facebook accounts, claiming to be from one of India's recent protests against the decision to ban the wearing of hijabs in schools.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and discovered it to be misleading. The photo was taken in December 2019 during a protest in New Delhi against proposed changes to India's citizenship act. Sanjeev Verma took the photo for the Hindustan Times.
In December 2019, the Indian parliament amended the Citizenship Act to allow six religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh to obtain Indian citizenship. India's religious minorities include Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Janiyah, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity.
Opponents claimed that the law amendment discriminated on religious grounds, excluding Muslim immigrants and others, prompting demonstrations across India that "were met with repression by Indian police according to media and human rights organizations."
The purported claim came amid days of demonstrations in Indian states opposing a decision to prohibit Muslim students from wearing hijab in schools in the southern state of Karnataka, which was made in response to the decision.
Translated by Wesam Abo Marq
