Indian Muslims will not respond to Al Qaeda's call: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Umiam (Meghalaya), Apr 6 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday asserted that Indian Muslims will not respond to the call by Al Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri and embroil themselves in the hijab row after the ruling by the Karnataka High Court on the matter.

He said the Muslims of the country will abide by the judgement and continue to respect the basic tenets of the country’s education system.

“India is a democracy. Karnataka High Court has given a clear verdict that it is not expected of students to wear anything like a hijab to school or college. If you wear hijab, I will wear something and then schools and colleges will become a place of display of religious clothes or behaviour. How can schools and colleges continue then?” he told reporters at the sidelines of a programme here.

It is to ensure the equality of all students that uniforms are used in educational institutions but Al Qaeda will not understand it, the senior BJP leader said.

"But Indian Muslims will understand. I am sure they are with the judiciary and with the basic tenants of our education system,” he added.

Zawahiri in a video released by the terror outfit's mouthpiece As-Sahab media on Tuesday showered praise on Muskan Khan, the Karnataka student who raised slogans of 'Allah-hu-Akbar' after being heckled by a right-wing Hindu mob shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' in February. He had mentioned the ban on hijab in educational institutions as per a Kartanaka court order and asked Muslims in the Indian subcontinent to fight the perceived assault on Islam “intellectually, using the media and with weapons on the battlefield”.