US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain stated on Friday that Karnataka should not dictate what religious clothing is permissible, and that bans on hijabs in schools violate religious freedom and unfairly target women and girls.
This statement was made on the same day that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Melbourne to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation and collaboration within the Quad in the Indian Ocean region.
Hussain, who previously served as US Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, was recently appointed as the US envoy for international religious freedom by the Biden administration.
In a tweet, Hussain emphasized that religious freedom includes the right to choose one’s religious attire, and criticized Karnataka for enforcing hijab bans in schools, which he believes infringe on religious freedom and discriminate against women and girls.
Hussain, who has roots in Bihar, studied at Yale Law School and obtained Master’s degrees from the Kennedy School of Government and Harvard University in Arabic and Islamic Studies.
During their discussions in Melbourne, Jaishankar and Blinken reviewed the positive progress in various aspects of the India-US relationship.
In a statement, the US State Department noted that Jaishankar expressed gratitude for the attention and effort devoted to the Quad, emphasizing the importance of strong bilateral relationships in shaping the evolving India-US partnership.
Blinken tweeted about his productive meeting with Jaishankar, focusing on strengthening Indo-Pacific cooperation and addressing mutual concerns between the two countries.
