Fresh controversy over India hijab ban as Al Qaeda leader resurfaces to incite 'battle'

Ayman Al Zawahiri's comments rejected by family of college student who was filmed standing up to people heckling her for wearing the Islamic head covering

Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahri appears in a video issued by As Sahab, the terrorist group's media branch, on April 5. AP

Al Qaeda terrorist group chief Ayman Al Zawahiri praise of an Indian Muslim student for protesting against a ban on the wearing the hijab in classrooms in india stirred fresh controversy over the issue and prompted a strong rebuttal from the student’s family.

The terrorist group's fugitive leader, who was believed to be dead, released a nine-minute video in which he hailed the college student as a “noblewoman of India” for confronting a Hindu mob who heckled her for wearing the traditional Islamic head covering.

Al Zawahiri addressed the student, Muskan Khan, by name and said that her “defiance” of the mob had “emboldened the spirit of jihad” and “reawakened the Muslim community”.

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