Holds rallies to mark World Hijab Day today
By Haroon Balogun
Muslim Students’ Soceity of Nigeria, MSSN, Lagos State area unit, has lamented the incessant abuse and discrimination against Muslim Students in hijab, urging government to criminalise the offence inorder to halt the ugly trend.
Addressing journalists at a press conference heralding the commemoration of the World Hijab Day at its office, Herbert Macauley way, Yaba, Lagos, the Amirah, Hajia Basheerah Majekodunmi said the trend if not addressed, portends a serious threat to peaceful coexistence.
Amirah in commpany of other State executives and students of the group said the discrimination and harassments against hijab-wearing Muslims has caused members gross emotional trauma and stigma. “It cannot continue like this! The defaulters have to face the wrath of the law.
“When the Lagos State Government issued the circular, we thought relief had come, but it is utterly unfortunate that some school authorities and some deviant teachers are working against the circular. They are interested in ultimately jeopardizing law and order.
“Instead of obeying the circular, some school principals, vice principals and teachers feign ignorance of the approval of Hijab in Lagos State, refreshed their islamophobic agenda and desperately began to deal with our members. Many of them have also deliberately expressed putrid hatred for hijab by discriminating and molesting the Muslim students in Hijab. We have constantly reported some of these cases to the government but little result is seen and some have been taken up legally.
“We have got to a point that we are beginning to think that there is a connivance between the teachers and principals of some schools to frustrate Muslim students in our bid to practice our religion through the use of hijab. If this is the grand plan, In Sha Allah, they will fail. We call on the government to caution the indiscipline, unlawful and religious bigots among its teaching workforce.
“It’s utterly sad that we are experiencing too much of assaults and abuses on the Muslim female folks, because they are wearing hijab. It portends a serious threat for our peaceful coexistence as a nation. This discrimination is too much, and it has to stop!
“The government has to criminalize assaults against people wearing hijab. The ugly incidents of harassments against hijab-wearing Muslims has assumed its peak, and it’s causing us gross emotional trauma and stigma. It cannot continue like this! The defaulters have to face the wrath of the law.
“Apart from the Appeal Court that gave a favourable verdict on the use of Hijab, a High Court in Osun State gave its nod to it and the National Industrial Court did the same on Tuesday 8th January 2019. Like the Appeal Court and the Osun High Court, the Industrial Court of Nigeria, presided over by Hon. Justice Ikechi Gerald Nweneka, ruled that refusal to interview an applicant in Hijab was discriminatory, violation of section 42 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In that case, the applicant Olatunji Hawau had applied for employment with the 3rd Respondent, Federal Medical Centre Ebute Meta on 10th October 2016. She was invited for interview on 12th October 2016 but was not interviewed because she was wearing a hijab. We understand that there are a few cases in court, but let me assure you that the position of the constitution is clear – wearing hijab is a constitutional right. Let us not assume that allowing hijab is a favour to Muslims. No, it is not. We are only asking government to respect the constitution of Nigeria by ordering their agents to stop victimising our students for wearing the hijab.
“We call on WAEC to caution its officials to stop violating Nigeria constitution and existing judgement that affirm the right to use hijab by female Muslim students. Hijab is a core part of dressing and an obligation that a female Muslim must fulfill in her religion. So, hijab should not even generate so much dust in a democratic society like Nigeria. Meanwhile, they must note that their actions and inactions have caused our members huge psychological trauma that some of them now feel hated and rejected in their own country.
“We call on all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion to join this voice as part of solidarity with the Muslim women most especially the female secondary school students, who are brazenly and incessantly harassed and assaulted because they wear hijab to schools in their own country.