A viral video of an Arizona State University (ASU) police officer purportedly removing the hijab of a student protester at a pro-Palestine rally on the university's campus has raised concerns.
According to reports on ABC15, four women had their hijabs removed by force.
The Indian-American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group for Indian Muslims living in the US, condemned the reported removal of headscarves by force in a press statement issued on Apr.30.
“This is a blatant violation of these women’s right to freedom of religion in all circumstances,” said Safa Ahmed, IAMC associate media director. “What ASU police did is unconstitutional as well as unconscionable, and it has added to the long list of hateful incidents faced by Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians on campuses nationwide.”
IAMC further called for an investigation into all reported incidents of this nature.
This is the latest in a series of reported escalations amid heightened tensions in the US regarding the Israel-Hamas war, especially on the nation’s university campuses, including Columbia University, the University of California, Los Angeles and George Washington University.
On Apr. 9, UC Berkeley law professor Catherine Fisk allegedly attacked law student Malak Afaneh, a Palestinian Muslim.
As per reports, the incident occurred at Fisk’s home, during a celebration for graduate students. The professor grabbed the student’s arm to prevent her from showing a video.
Afaneh was quoted in a statement saying she was attacked by Fisk because: “I am a Muslim woman who dares to wear a hijab and a keffiyeh and speak in my native tongue of Arabic.”
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