Hijab decision bad for country

THE EDITOR: The action by the administration of the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College and also the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha board against a Muslim OJT teacher, Nafisah Nakhid – who was assigned to the school but asked to leave the compound because she was wearing a hijab – has the potential to become an embarrassing international incident for this country. TT can be accused of discriminating against its Muslim citizens.

The last time I checked, the Constitution still allows freedom of religion, which means citizens are still free to practise their respective religious faiths without fear of being persecuted. However, the school’s administration and the board appear to have violated Nakhid’s right to religious freedom by their action.

In the eyes of global human rights organisations, this development may not be good for TT as it can be blacklisted, which can affect foreign investment by corporations. These organisations would think twice about putting their money into countries that violate human rights.

I commend Education Minister Anthony Garcia and the Government for siding with Nakhid and seeking a legal opinion on this issue. At the end of the day, let justice be done.

JEREMY HARRIS, Diego Martin