Sri Lankan Examination Rules Discriminate Against Muslim Students
July 4th, 2024
Justice For All Canada is concerned by Sri Lanka's latest instance of systemic bias and Islamophobia.
Recently, school authorities decided to withhold the examination results of 70 Muslim students from Zahira College in the City of Trincomalee, because of a policy that mandates leaving ears uncovered during exams—a policy which discriminates against girls who choose to follow religious modesty guidelines. The policy disproportionately affects Muslim girls, and perpetuates a climate of religious discrimination against Muslim citizens in Sri Lanka.
The implementation of prejudicial rules by Sri Lanka’s Examinations Department also mirrors a similar incident in October 2023, where 13 Muslim women were denied their results for principal-appointment exams due to wearing hijabs, despite initial compliance with ear visibility requirements. According to Muslim students, such rules disrupt their academic progress and sends a broader message of exclusion and intolerance.
“These discriminatory measures reflect familiar patterns of anti-Muslim rhetoric being spread by the Sinhala Buddhist majority and the Tamil community. Politicians seeking electoral gains should not resort to politicizing issues which undermine the safety and rights of Muslim minority groups,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
The rise of Hindu nationalist movements in Sri Lanka have increasingly targeted Muslim communities. For instance, in 2018 there were violent protests against Muslim teachers wearing abayas at Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College. Hindu nationalist organizations like Ravana Senai have capitalized on these tensions, spreading false narratives about demographic threats and cultural imposition by Muslims.
In recent years, Sri Lanka has enacted numerous regulations that target and marginalize Muslim minorities. Notably, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government prohibited the burial of individuals who died from the virus and instead mandated cremation, causing significant anguish among Muslim families whose religious beliefs forbid this practice. Additionally, there have been numerous instances of anti-Muslim violence, often incited or worsened by baseless accusations that are propagated without consequence of officials and government supporters.
Justice For All Canada calls on Sri Lankan authorities to address these systemic injustices by adopting a rights-based approach. School policies must respect religious freedoms and ensure that all students have equal access to education without fear of discrimination or reprisal.
Justice For All Canada is concerned by Sri Lanka's latest instance of systemic bias and Islamophobia.
Recently, school authorities decided to withhold the examination results of 70 Muslim students from Zahira College in the City of Trincomalee, because of a policy that mandates leaving ears uncovered during exams—a policy which discriminates against girls who choose to follow religious modesty guidelines. The policy disproportionately affects Muslim girls, and perpetuates a climate of religious discrimination against Muslim citizens in Sri Lanka.
The implementation of prejudicial rules by Sri Lanka’s Examinations Department also mirrors a similar incident in October 2023, where 13 Muslim women were denied their results for principal-appointment exams due to wearing hijabs, despite initial compliance with ear visibility requirements. According to Muslim students, such rules disrupt their academic progress and sends a broader message of exclusion and intolerance.
“These discriminatory measures reflect familiar patterns of anti-Muslim rhetoric being spread by the Sinhala Buddhist majority and the Tamil community. Politicians seeking electoral gains should not resort to politicizing issues which undermine the safety and rights of Muslim minority groups,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
The rise of Hindu nationalist movements in Sri Lanka have increasingly targeted Muslim communities. For instance, in 2018 there were violent protests against Muslim teachers wearing abayas at Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College. Hindu nationalist organizations like Ravana Senai have capitalized on these tensions, spreading false narratives about demographic threats and cultural imposition by Muslims.
In recent years, Sri Lanka has enacted numerous regulations that target and marginalize Muslim minorities. Notably, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government prohibited the burial of individuals who died from the virus and instead mandated cremation, causing significant anguish among Muslim families whose religious beliefs forbid this practice. Additionally, there have been numerous instances of anti-Muslim violence, often incited or worsened by baseless accusations that are propagated without consequence of officials and government supporters.
Justice For All Canada calls on Sri Lankan authorities to address these systemic injustices by adopting a rights-based approach. School policies must respect religious freedoms and ensure that all students have equal access to education without fear of discrimination or reprisal.