Islamic Organization Condemns The Prohibition Of Health Workers Using Hijab In Hospitals

Hijab/Freepik illustration

JAKARTA The Advocacy Coalition for the Anti-Islamological Society, which is a member of several mass organizations, condemned the news that one of the hospitals in South Jakarta had restricted its employees from wearing the hijab. They considered that there were discriminatory actions based on SARA (Regional, Religious, Ras, and Inter-Group) which were allegedly carried out by the hospital.

Chairman of the Islamic Brotherhood Advocate, Aziz Yanuar said, according to the provisions of Article 10 of Law Number 40 of 2008 concerning the Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination (United-Restriction Law) requires every citizen to prevent racial and Ethnic discrimination in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

The use of the hijab by a Muslim is an obligation of Islamic law whose implementation is protected by the law in casu Article 28E paragraph (1), Article 28G paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution, Article 4 and Article 22 of the Human Rights Law, and Article 18 of the International Covant on Civil and Political Rights ("ICCPR).

"The implementation of the rules prohibiting the use of the hijab on workers suspected of being carried out in hospitals is a discriminatory act and leads to Islamophobia which is in fact contrary to the laws and regulations, namely the provisions of Article 5, Article 6, and Article 80 of the Manpower Law, even violating the criminal provisions as referred to in Article 4 in conjunction with Article 15 of the Anti-Discrimination Law and Article 185 of the Manpower Law," Aziz told VOI, Tuesday, September 3.

Related to this, the Advocacy Coalition for the Anti-Islamic Society firmly summoned.

Aziz said that the hospital must carry out a thorough investigation of the prohibition of the use of the hijab to all workers in its environment.

"Strict sanctions are given to parties in the hospital environment involved in banning the use of the hijab," he said.

The hospital must convey to the public transparently the number of workers affected by the ban on the use of the hijab as a form of responsibility for the disclosure of public information.

The hospital was asked to submit a written apology to all employees affected by the regulation on the prohibition of the use of the hijab.

"Revocation and no longer enforce the rules or policies that prohibit Muslim employees in the hospital from wearing the hijab," he said.

Aziz said, if this open subpoena is not heeded within 3x24 hours from the date of this summons, then his party will take further legal action based on the provisions of the legislation in force in Indonesia.

"This is for the creation of people's lives without discrimination and Islamophobia," he said. As is known, it is viral on social media that the alleged Medistra Hospital located in South Jakarta limits its employees from wearing the headscarf. This was revealed from a protest letter written by a doctor named Diani Kartini to the management of Medistra Hospital.

Diani explained, in the discourse session of the recruitment process for health workers, Medistra Hospital revealed the question of whether applicants were willing to open the headscarf if they were accepted as employees. This is because the Medistra Hospital is called an international hospital.

"I really regret if today there are still racist questions. Medistra Hospital said it was international standard, but why is it still racist like that?" said Diani in a letter that is now circulating on social media X.

Hospital Apology

Meanwhile, Medistra Hospital, South Jakarta apologized for the statement that its employees were limited to wearing the hijab while on duty. The apology statement was made after sticking out on social media.

"We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the issue of discrimination experienced by one of the candidates for health workers," Director of Medistra Agung Budisatria Hospital in a written statement, Monday, September 2.

Agung also said that currently related to the viral interview, management was already in handling it.

He also emphasized that there will be strict control during the recruitment process for Medistra Hospital workers, South Jakarta.

"In the future, we will continue to carry out a strict control process for the recruitment or communication process, so that the message we convey can be understood properly by all parties," he concluded.