Indonesia’s Widodo faces lawsuit over hijab-removing controversy at Independence Day ceremonies

Indonesia’s president faces a lawsuit after students were pressured to remove hijabs for Independence Day, sparking debate on religious freedom

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Indonesia’s President Widodo faces a lawsuit over hijab-removing controversy during Independence Day ceremonies. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00am, 23 Aug 2024Updated: 8:12am, 23 Aug 2024

Indonesia’s outgoing president Joko Widodo has found himself at the centre of a lawsuit after dozens of students were forced to remove their hijabs during Independence Day ceremonies to maintain uniformity of the country’s prestigious flag-raising squad.

The uproar that followed the revelation also put a fresh spotlight on discriminatory rules in state schools and public offices, which require all women, including non-Muslims, to cover their heads when studying, working or simply entering buildings.

The annual Independence Day ceremony on August 17, which this year was held in both the new capital of Nusantara and Jakarta, required the participation of dozens of high-school students for the Paskibraka (National Flag Hoisting Troop).

The carefully selected team typically trains for months before the ceremony in a military-like fashion, so those selected and sent to Jakarta are seen as top students who are a source of pride for their families and schools. However, this year, pride over making the team was stained by a new rule that some viewed as “hurting diversity”.

Indonesian flag raisers perform during a ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence Day. Photo: EPA-EFE

The National Paskibraka Council (PPI), which organises the flag-raising squad, said that 18 students removed their hijabs during an inauguration event with Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta on August 13.

“Why was it ‘forbidden’ during the inauguration to wear a hijab? Why were [the girls] uniformised not to use the hijab? Isn’t this hurting diversity itself?” asked Gousta Feriza, chairman of PPI, in a statement issued on August 14.