Bosnia Muslim women protested against the banning of wearing hijab headscarves on judicial institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The protests started on Sunday gathered by 2,000 people, mostly women wearing the said Islamic headscarves.
Bosnia's High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council said hijabs are banned in order to prevent suspicion of religiously motivated bias. Aljazeera reported, working lawyers, prosecutors and employees under judicial institution will no longer allow to wear hijab while working. It has been the first time to take the decision on banning the said Islamic headscarves in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Decision has been made on September and December 2015 sessions.
According to Arab News, around 2,000 protesting women marched their way in downtown Saravejo on Sunday. "We gathered to protest against prejudices, discrimination and marginalization," Samira Zunic Velagic said during the protest. She also added, "The ban of wearing hijab in judicial institutions is a serious attack against Muslim honor, personality and identity, a violation aimed at depriving them of their right to work." Protesters marched an hour carrying banners that says, "Hijab is my Daily Choice," "Hijab is my Right" or "Hijab is my Life."
Yugoslavia banned the wearing of Hijab when Bosnia was still part of their territory until 1992, according to BBC News. Muslim political and religious leaders also condemned the hijab ban. Muslims make up around 40 percent of Bosnia's population of 3.8 million and are mostly moderates. The others are mostly Christians.
Hanadi Salkica, among the protesters has been a lawyer since 2007, working in Zenica. She also explained, hijab is not a religious symbol, instead, "a way of life and a personal style of dress." Salkica also added she has been in the court for many years and neither has looked at her differently.
Since news of the ban broke, online petitions have gone viral and marches have been held in various cities. On February 1, for World Hijab Day, hijab-wearing activists posted photos of themselves holding signs with the hashtag #unbiased.
