UNHAN RI Rejects Veiled Female Applicants, Policy Under Question
BANDA ACEH – The Indonesian Defense University (Unhan RI) is under fire after reportedly banning female students from wearing the hijab. A former applicant identified as AW shared her story, saying she was accepted as a prospective Military Medicine cadet at Unhan but backed out 15 hours later because she wasn't allowed to keep her hijab on.
During the selection process, veiled applicants were accommodated without being told to remove their hijabs. But AW revealed that supervisors repeatedly warned them about the requirement to take off the hijab once they were declared accepted. When it came time to sign the contract, supervisors stressed that their hair would be cut and they'd no longer be wearing the hijab.
AW questioned the basis of the rule since there's no written provision. Unhan officials mentioned the policy was a directive from the previous defense minister. AW tried to negotiate by pointing to Palestinian students at Unhan who are still allowed to wear hijabs, but her efforts didn't work out.
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