Paul Pogba is a French footballer who plays for Manchester United in the English Premier League.
New Delhi:
Manchester United footballer Paul Pogba posted on Thursday that “Hindutva mobs continue to abuse Muslim girls wearing Hijab to college in India,” referring to protests in Karnataka over college students being denied the ability to wear a hijab.
Pogba, a Frenchman whose mother is Muslim and who began practicing Islam in 2019, reposted a 58-second clip released by the London-based Instagram account islamismydeen.
A large crowd of boys and adults wearing (or waving) saffron scarves surrounds a small group of young girls wearing hijabs at the start of the video. As the dust rises from the altercation, the mob, which at least counts several dozen masculine males, can be heard yelling and chanting.
Only two police officers are visible, and a few more males appear to be holding hands to form a protective barrier around the girls.
The video then shows a young lady, apparently a teacher, cautiously unlatching a classroom door, which is subsequently stormed by dozens of lads dressed in even more saffron scarves and applauding.
The final segment depicts even more guys — by this point, there appear to be hundreds of them – carrying saffron flags, dancing, and applauding as they walk down a street.
When and where each of the videos was shot is unknown.
Pogba isn’t the only foreign celebrity to highlight the hijab demonstrations; Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai noted on Wednesday that “refusing to allow girls attend school with hijabs is awful.”
A maelstrom of voices has erupted in favor of both sides across the country, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among those who have spoken out.
Male students heckled a Muslim female, screaming ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ at a college in Mandya district on Tuesday, escalating the tension. “Allah hu Akbar,” she yelled at the aggressors.
Two males were detained in Kundapur the day before for bringing firearms near protesting students.
At least one right-wing fringe organization, the Hindu Jagran Vedike, has stoked protests against the requirement to wear hijabs, which officials say can be worn in class but not during instruction.
Last month, six girls from Karnataka’s Udupi district raised concerns about Muslim pupils being prevented from wearing the hijab. Since then, it has escalated into a major issue, with a petition being heard by the state’s High Court and the Supreme Court being contacted.
The High Court will continue hearings on the case on Monday, but students have been asked to avoid wearing “religious garb” for the sake of “peace and tranquility,” according to a controversial statement.
