NSCIA warns against continued harassment of Muslim students, professionals on hijab

“The incident of Thursday, November 15, 2018 will not be forgotten by the 120 million Muslims in Nigeria. To wit, how would anyone calling herself a principal in the 21st century have the audacity of shutting innocent Muslim students out of school just for the “offence” of wearing small head-carves called hijab? What type of education did the religious bigot called Mrs Phebean Olowe receive that would make her commit such infamy?”

President, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has spoken against the continuous harassment of Muslim students and professionals on hijab by some religious bigots hiding under code of establishment in the country, warning that any one found guilty of such act will henceforth face the wrath of the law.

 The Sultan, in a statement signed by Deputy Secretary-General, NSCIA, Prof. Salisu Shehu, said he is “appalled by the odious stench of religious bigotry and intolerance oozing out from the academic precincts of the premier University of Ibadan – International School, Ibadan (ISI).”

He said: “The incident of Thursday, November 15, 2018 will not be forgotten by the 120 million Muslims in Nigeria. To wit, how would anyone calling herself a principal in the 21st century have the audacity of shutting innocent Muslim students out of school just for the “offence” of wearing small head-carves called hijab? What type of education did the religious bigot called Mrs Phebean Olowe receive that would make her commit such infamy? Why must Muslims always fight before they are granted their rights, as constitutionally guaranteed?”

“NSCIA warns that henceforth, anybody who harasses Muslim students or professionals on the basis of hijab will be deemed a criminal suspect, being a violator of the constitution. Such lawless persons will individually answer their surnames and charged to court for violating the Nigerian Constitution regarding the rights of Muslims. Muslims have never barred Christians from dressing anyway their religion expects them to do.

“We have no problem with nuns in uniform or with people who do not wear shoes or ear-rings. They are our fellow citizens and we respect them and their religious convictions. But why should Christians always stand in our way, regarding adherence to our faith within the confines of the Constitution?” he said.

The NSCIA however demanded that the principal of ISI be sanctioned for dragging the name of the school in the mire and trampling on the rights of her students, against whom the school gate was shut as if they were stray animals.

“The council demands that the University of Ibadan wade into the matter immediately by working together with the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) and the ISI Muslim Parents Forum to grant the students their full rights of wearing hijab, which in anyway does not impede their learning. Any code, by-law, rule or regulation that conflicts with the Nigerian Constitution is null and void. Therefore, the argument of some school rules and regulations by apologists in the matter is shallow and diversionary.

“The Council urges other governments across the country, especially in the South West, South South and South East geopolitical zones, to take a cue from the government of Lagos State and cure themselves from hijabphobia,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the NSCIA applauded Lagos State Government for approving the use of hijab in public schools in the state. Though it noted that the approval is not a favour in any way as the government had been acting ultra vires all this while by refusing to obey the judgement of the

Court of Appeal since July 2016 that it was given.

Chief Imam of Lagos, His Eminence, Sheikh Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abu-Nolla, in a separate statement yesterday said: “The girls are as well your children, and we don’t know what will become of them tomorrow. Beating, harassing and intimidating them because they adorn the garment of honour – the Hijab – is indeed not the way to go,”

Imam Abu-Nolla therefore charged Lagos principals; teachers and school administrators, especially the non-Muslims among them, to follow the government directives on the Hijab issue to the fullest, and let all incidents of beatings, harassments and intimidation of the Muslim girl-child over the Hijab stop forthwith.

Chairman, University of Ibadan International School Muslim Parents’ Forum, Alhaji Abdulrahman Balogun said the Muslim parents would continue to resist all attempts to intimidate and harass their children in the school.

“We shall use legal means to ensure that the fundamental and God-given rights of our children are not trampled upon by the principal”, he said.