It is a well-known fact that in France and Turkey Muslim girls are not allowed to wear headscarves to school. This is a blatant violation of freedom of religion where Muslims are concerned.

In Malaysia today, however, we see the opposite yet similar violation happening in one of our higher institutions of learning - the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA).

In the UIA, all female students are compelled to wear headscarves. While it is arguable even among Muslims whether the Quran has stipulated that women (as a duty) must cover up their hair, it is definitely contentious that this religious practice is imposed on non-Muslims.

There are few non-Muslims in the UIA. This is not just due to the nature of the university, which is obvious from its name, but also the regulation on headscarves that are imposed on everyone. It has deterred the non-Muslims, female as well as male, from applying to and staying in the university campus.

Non-Muslim women who study in UIA are made to cover their heads like their fellow Muslims in the campus. Furthermore, both female and male non-Muslims are required to attend religious classes every alternate weekend, purportedly to deepen their understanding of all religions.

It is one thing when we talk about respecting each other's religion, but another if the religious practices and values of one religion is imposed upon students of other religions. Such imposition will not encourage the non-Muslims from recognising Islam whole-heartedly as a fair and just religion.

Instead, it is more likely to deepen the misconceptions of these non-Muslims who will, rightly or wrongly, associate Islam with disregard for the rights of others through compulsory adherence to its practices. And that is how negative perception against Islam is formed - by such regulations introduced by self-serving authorities.