Hijab-Clad Muslim Girls ‘shamed’ for Flash-mob Dance

MALAPPURAM:
The Kerala Women Commission on Wednesday registered a case against unnamed people who ‘shamed’ three hijab-clad Muslim girls for performing in a flash-mob organised by the medical department on December 1 on the occasion of Worlds Aids Day.
Registering a suo motu case, the commission also directed the cyber wing of the police to book those attacked the girls with “filthy comments and lewd remarks” on the social network sites. The girls, students of a dental college in Muslim-dominated Malappuram, were trolled after a video of them dancing to the tune of a popular Malayalam song “Jimmki Kamml” was widely circulated on social media.
A flash mob is generally an impromptu gathering of people in a public place to perform unusual act in a bid to spread awareness on social issues. The district health department organised the flash mob– a group dance that appear an impromptu jig on a street — at Malappuram to raise awareness on HIV/Aids. India had 2.1 million people living with HIV at the end of 2016, according to an UNAIDS report.
Some trolls even wanted clergies to issue a fatwa against them for what they called insulting Islam. Those who backed the girls were also not spared.
A Malayalam radio jockey in Doha (Qatar) was forced to apologise after he cheered the girls in his programme. He said he tendered apology after he received alarming threats and was threatened with jail under blasphemy laws. On Tuesday he posted another video saying he had merely spoken about women’s freedom and no communal angle was involved in it.
The state government backed the girls and offered full support. Many also hailed the girls on social media.
“It is unfortunate to give a religious tinge to portray women in bad light and degrade them. This emboldens more women to come out publically,” a tweet in support of girls said. The college did not disclose the identity of the girls.