NEW DELHI – Students and scholars of Erasmus University, Rotterdam in The Hague have issued a statement in solidarity with Indian Muslim girls who have been denied access to educational institutions for covering their heads with hijab.

A statement from more than 100 students, read: “The students have been singled out, brutalised, and victimised under threats from Hindu majoritarian intimidation and state-backed violence.”

Most of the students, who are of Indian origin, belong to the varsity’s social science department.

“We unconditionally support the Muslim students’ acts of resistance and endorse the demands of these students to be granted their constitutional rights— freedom of expression, practicing their faith and access to education,” said the statement.

Hijab has, of late, become a ruse for conflict with Hindu far-right groups and politicians using a form of dog-whistle politics to vilify entire Muslim community in the country. It said the attacks on hijab come against the backdrop of an ongoing onslaught on Muslim women in India who have been a target of online auctions by Hindutva trolls often with the tacit support of the state.

These incidents are a reflection of the rampant Islamophobia that intertwines itself with Hindutva misogyny in India today, the statement underlined.

According to the statement by students in Hague, the hijab ban in educational institutes is aimed at targeting Muslim students to renounce their Muslimness and uphold a majoritarian cultural identity, synonymous with Hindu identity.

The justification for the attacks on hijab is claimed to be to ‘liberate’ Muslim women, it further said. “This weaponizes Islamophobia and sexism against Muslim women, assumed to be more ‘oppressed’ than other women.’

The solidarity statement lashed out at a section of the media in India which has wrongly framed the series of incidents as a “fight between modernity and conservatism, with both parties held equally responsible for conflict”. In reality, the scholars say, the cause is Hindu majority state-backed violence aimed at intimidating the Muslim minority, Muslim women in particular. It is a clear attempt to polarise the country ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections.

Signatories of the statement:

Ashok Danavath, MA Development Studies, ISS, Hague
Mariya Nadeem Khan, MA Development Studies, ISS, Hague
Haris Zargar, PhD researcher, ISS, Hague
Sumaiya Tanim, MA Development Studies, ISS, Hague
John Matthew Ang, MA Development Studies, ISS, Hague
Layal Houssam Sasso, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Banji Moyo MA Development Studies, ISS, Hague.
Juliana Beltrán Grisales, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Anoushka Gupta, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Mohsen Usyan, Mundus MAAP, ISS, The Hague
Nadia C.E Ndiaye, MA Development Studies, ISS, Hague.
Sergio Carvajal, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Adiresti Lalitya Rahmi, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Intan Kusuma, MA Development Studies, ISS, Den Haag
Rebecca Mort, MA Development Studies, The Hague
Richard Toppo, PhD Researcher, ISS
Josephine Brouwer, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Golden Singh, MA, Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Shaila Alam Asha, MA, Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Haenee Kim, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Raghad Abuualshaikh, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Chelsea Ellingsen, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Camilo Rodriguez. MA Development studies. ISS, The Hague.
Sabina Bernal Galeano. MA Development Studies. ISS. The Hague
Inés Jiménez, MA Development Studies ISS, The Hague
Selasi Quarshie, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Nadya Selma Karamy, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Mwashamba Kapipi Amiri
Ivy Helena Torres, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Shreya Chatterjee, M.Sc. IR and Diplomacy, Leiden University, The Hague
Anvisha Manral, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Saarah Javed, MA Public Policy, Mundus MAPP, ISS, The Hague
Rohan Sharma, BSc Political Science:IRO, Leiden University, The Hague
Hugo Stinis, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Margherita Andreolli, MA Development studies, ISS, The Hague
Matam Manogna, MA Public Policy, Mundus MAPP, ISS, The Hague
Mira Zaghbour, MA, Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Deanna Ortiz, BSc International Relations, Leiden University, The Hague
Agustín González, MA Public Policy, Mundus MAPP, ISS, The Hague.
María Fernanda Barahona Cruz. MA, Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Bruno Palombini Gastal, MA Public Policy (MundusMAPP), ISS, The Hague.
Akolebirungi Belinda MA in Development studies ISS, The Hague
Muhammad Nashirulhaq. MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Abhimanyu Chakravorty, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Nadia Gissma Kusumawardhani, MA Development Studies, The Hague
Vanshika Kalsi , MA Development Studies, The Hague.
Jocelyne Bazalar, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Palmer Anderson, MA Public Policy (MundusMAPP), ISS, The Hague
Rachelle Sartori, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Moubani Maitra, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Selma Khan Riepma, MA Middle Eastern Studies, Leiden University.
Tigist gebremariam yohannes, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Michelle Herrera, MA Public Policy, Mundus MAPP, ISS, The Hague
Chomprang Wongrusmeeduan, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Zahra Fatima, BA International Relations, University of Sharjah.
Militza Martínez Meneses, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Lea Maria Liekefedt, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Jimena Stuart Barreto, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Charlie Yuzheng Song, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Bleuenn Couaran, MA IMP, EUR, Rotterdam
Sanchita Bakshi, Phd researcher, ISS
Doi Ra, PhD Development Studies, ISS
Bruna Morgana Zanatta, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Fernanda González Ronquillo, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Amod Shah, PhD Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Daniela Andrade, PhD Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Marina Cadaval Narezo, Phd Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Ilaha Abasli, PhD Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Amparo Bravo, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague.
Mostafa Sadiqi, Msc Globalisation & Development, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Michelle Rose Villariez, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Raziye Rabia Basaran, MA Middle Eastern Studies, Leiden University.
Fatima Abbas, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Dina Paris, Bsc Health Sciences & Medicine, Maastricht University
Juliana Hauser, MSc Crime and Criminal Justice, Leiden University
Forohar Taariq, BA Pedagogical sciences, Erasmus university
Ria Shukla, Msc Clinical Psychology, Erasmus University
Ranwa Alamsi, MA Middle Eastern Studies, Leiden University.
Kelly Musyoka, BA International Studies, Leiden University
EeMadeline Nece, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Helena Rogers, Msc International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam.
Jeppe Bandringa, BSc International Relations, Leiden University.
Aryan Goyal, MSc Political Science, Leiden University
Omar Bhatti MSc Anthropology and Development Management, LSE
Deniz Konuklu, MA International Development Studies, UvA.
Ellen Zwerver, MA International Development Studies, UvA
Ewa Kasiarz, MA International Development Studies, UvA
Helen Hintjens, Staff, ISS, The Hague
Inès Boivin, MA International Development Studies, UvA
Archana Ria Vikraman, MA Development Studies, SJP Major, ISS, The Hague
Eva van Teeffelen, MA International Development Studies, UvA
Lena Schenk, MSc European Politics and External Relations, UvA
Ahlam Yachou, MSc Social & Organisational Psychology, Leiden University
Nelli Horváth, MSc International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam
Jameson Lingl, PhD Researcher, ISS, Hague
Irene Vettiyadan, BSc International Relations and Organisations, Leiden University
Zemzem Shigute Shuka, Staff, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Brenda Rodríguez, PhD researcher, ISS The Hague
Ika Narwidya Putri, MA Development Studies, ISS, The Hague
Amanda Lethizya Lestari, MA Development Studies, ISS The Hague
Octavia Rizky Prasetyo, MA Development Studies, ISS The Hague
Cynthia Embido Bejeno, PhD/Guest researcher, Iss Erasmus University Rotterdam
Sushruta Kokkula, MA Development Studies, ISS The Hague
Niyati Pingali, MA Development Studies, ISS The Hague
Sushrutha Vemuri, Staff, ISS The Hague
V.N.L.Pratyusha, Student, India.
Evalien Stapper, BA International Studies, Leiden University
Sarah Hafez, MA Medicine, Maastricht University
Page 1 of 2