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The hijab ban: Colonialism against women’s bodies?
It is ironic that during the celebration of our independence, women’s bodies once again became a central topic of debate, as if society still cannot let women choose what they want to wear.
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Look to your health: Pupils of Pardomuan state elementary school in Bandung, West Java, take an eye test on Aug. 14, 2024 during the government-sponsored School Immunization Month. (Antara/Raisan Al Farisi)
T
he hijab remains a burning issue in Muslim-majority Indonesia, as evident in the polemic triggered by alleged prohibition against female members of the national flag-hoisting squad (Paskibraka) wearing it ahead of the ceremony to commemorate the 79th anniversary of independence at the new capital city of Nusantara.
Due to the alleged ban, 18 female Paskibraka members had to remove their hijabs when they were inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Aug. 13. As protests mounted, through its spokesperson, the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP), apologized for the incident and eventually the female students were allowed to wear hijabs during the Independence Day ceremony on Aug. 17.
Others, however, have denounced the apology, arguing that there is widespread coercion in wearing the hijab, whether at school or work. For them, the ban on wearing the hijab was overdue.
Indeed, in 2021, Human Rights Watch stated that since 1990, there have been a growing number of laws and regional ordinances regulating uniforms for Muslim girls and women in Indonesia’s education system.
In its report, Human Rights Watch News said that in August 2023, a teacher in Lamongan, East Java, shaved the heads of 14 schoolgirls for not covering their hair properly while wearing hijabs. In July 2023, in Karawang, West Java, a student of Sunda Wiwitan customary community was bullied by her teachers for refusing to wear a hijab. The girl and her family eventually decided to flee the regency.
The same report described how in some 24 predominantly Muslim provinces across Indonesia, girls who did not comply with hijab requirements were forced to quit school. Some female civil servants have also reportedly lost their jobs due to hijab requirements.
In response to cases of compulsory hijabs for female students, the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry issued in September 2022 a regulation about personal choice in wearing school uniforms. This rule affects about 150,000 public schools in the country, but at least 15 provincial education agencies have refused to follow the directive.
