Indian Muslim student blames prejudiced behavior, refuses gold medal

Rabeeha Abdurehim, from the Mass Communication department of a university in Pondicherry University, refused to accept the gold medal at the Pondicherry University in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Rabeeha Abdurehim, who secured the first position in the post-graduate department of Mass Communication, said she was asked by a senior police officer to leave the auditorium before the commencement of the convocation.

Rabeeha told the media persons that she was denied entry into the convocation solely because she is a Muslim and wears a headscarf.

When she was later allowed to enter the hall after the president had left, Rabeeha accepted the certificate but rejected the gold medal.

In her Facebook post, Ms. Rabeeha said that while she dreamt often about the moment she would receive a gold medal and master’s certificate, “never did I imagine it would end up being in a way in which I could send a strong peaceful message across India.”

“As a woman, as a student, as an Indian, today in my graduation I reject the gold medal awarded to me in solidarity with all the students and publicwho are fighting against CAA and NRC.”

Meanwhile, Indian authorities stepped up security and shut down the internet in various places on Tuesday while members of the ruling party planned marches backing a new citizenship law even though nationwide protests against it are escalating.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) aims to fast-track citizenship for persecuted Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who arrived in India before Dec. 31, 2014, from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.