School principals’ new strategy against Hijab exposed, as Women groups mark World Hijab Day 2023 in Lagos

*Call for end to bullying, discrimination against Hijab wearing Muslims

*’Advocacy movement now observed in 190 countries’

*Groups condemn raping of niqob wearing women in Ibadan

*Demand arrest of identified perpetrators

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Some school administrators still take the laws into their hands by making learning unbearable for Muslim students thereby denying them their fundamental rights, a joint press conference statement has revealed as women under the aegis of a Coalition of Islamic Organisations mark World Hijab Day 2023, held in the Hall of Lagos State Secretariat Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday.

Organisers of the annual event, which holds every February 1, said it was put together mainly to tell the world that rights of female Muslims should be recognised and respected as living beings and be not discriminated against, while demanding equal rights between the hijab-wearing female Muslim folks and non-Muslim folks through the advocacy that the Muslim girl’s right to use the hijab without oppression, segregation and dehumanization are upheld in the country.

This was said to have become necessary in exposing the new strategy some of the school administrators where “they want the hijab hidden away, by insisting that the Hijab be tucked in and a beret worn over it,” and to which the coalition is saying no way while insisting that the hijab model upon which the courts gave their judgments must stand.

This revelation was contained in the submission of Naibat-ul-Amirah of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, Hajia Bushrah Olagunju-Matemilola, titled “Not all doom and gloom for Hijabis”, which she presented as part of speeches at the press conference covered by The DEFENDER.

Like every other year, the issues of those elements against Hijab are the same, she noted but posited that Muslim women have shown overtime that a whole lot can be achieved with the hijab and that, like others, they should be given the opportunity to show their capabilities.

Olagunju-Matemilola educated the ‘anti-law’ educators who were seen trying hard to play pranks with what Allah has directed professing Muslim women to do and has been sanctioned by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Hijab is not a shirt that should be tucked in, the type of hijab which covers the chest of the wearer, was brought to the courts and judgment given based on it,” she lamented.

She, however, commended the appointment of a hijab wearing Muslim woman, Dr Shareefah Adejoke Yusuf, as the Tutor-General/ Permanent Secretary, Education District VI by the Lagos State Government, while describing development as an affirmation that the hijab is not a limiting factor to the success of any individual.

“We jubilated when the Supreme Court after a legal tussle of about 10 years granted us victory in the case over use of hijab in schools. The Court affirmed the right of schoolgirls to dress modestly in hijab and the subsequent Lagos State issued circular confirms this. However, it is disheartening we are back at the table with the issues staring us in the face,” she noted.

The DEFENDER reports that Executive Director, Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, Hajia Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, while welcoming participants to the media meeting, said the effort at showcasing and defence of Hijab, that is the pride of Muslim women, started 11 years ago as a global movement.

She explained that, “This movement, which is now being observed in 190 countries around the world, is a united voice against the criminalization, discrimination and oppression of Muslim Women due to the practice and observance of their religious codes.”

In a reply full of wisdom to those that formed themselves into enmity thereby rolling out untamed misgivings against Muslim women for merely exercising their Allah given rights, Hajia Orolu-Balogun drew their attention back to the truth they avoided.

“Some have claimed that the hijab is a symbol of oppression and segregation. Rather, it is unjust and unconstitutional laws, bigoted administrative rules and outright discrimination that oppress Muslim women and girls. We are inundated daily with reports of various Muslim women (young and old) across various cities, states, countries being harassed, subjugated and discriminated against due to the Hijab,” she said.

Buttressing her point, she read out the theme for this year’s World Hijab Day, “Progression not oppression”, noting that although the Hijab was legislated and enjoined on Muslim women over 1400 years ago as described in Chapter 24 that is Surah An-Noor, Verse 31 of the Holy Qur’an, “we keep seeing how it is even more relevant today. Nakedness marked a distinctive feature of pre-civilization , hence to adopt modesty in dressing is progression.”

And she cited the scriptural evidence as established by Allah in  Q7 (Surah Al-Araf), Verse 26 -27 thus, “O children of Adam! We have provided for you clothing to cover your nakedness and as an adornment. However, the best clothing is righteousness. This is one of Allah’s bounties, so perhaps you will be mindful.

“O children of Adam! Do not let Satan deceive you as he tempted your parents out of Paradise and caused their cover to be removed in order to expose their nakedness. Surely he and his soldiers watch you from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils allies of those who disbelieve”.

The hijab rights advocate cited furthermore Qur’anic evidence from Chapter 33 (Surah Al-Ahzab) Verse 59 where Allah ordered: “O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters, and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies. In this way it is more likely that they will be recognized ‘as virtuous’ and not be harassed. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

She then drew the curtain by saying that the Hijab “for us Muslim women” is a fulfillment of a divine commandment which is further guaranteed by section 38 of the 1999 constitution. Which states that: “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance”.

She noted that, “While we have recorded a landmark achievement on Hijab, with the supreme court judgement in the case of Asiyat AbdulKareem V. Lagos State delivered on the 17th of June 2022 and the subsequent Lagos State Government circular, issued by the HOS, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola on the 5th of December 2022, there are still numerous issues faced by Hijabis and by this press conference we hope to address a couple of these matters still casting a looming shadow on the progress made so far.”

Also speaking at the Wednesday’s press conference, Secretary of the Women wing of Lagos Zone 2 of NASFAT, Hajia Aisha Busari, decried the moral decadence in the society as she urged collective effort to uphold the right moral values in the lives of children in the society.

“It is disheartening to know how much the society applauds immorality and frowns at right choices. How women’s empowerment is preached, yet the empowerment and choice of Muslim women are opposed. In this world where the urge to go naked is prevalent, let’s join hands together, school teachers and administrators, leaders of faith, and everyone to encourage modesty, the use of hijab.”

Hajia Busari, who spoke on the topic, ‘Stop Bullying Hijabis! Religious Tolerance is a Must for Peaceful Co-existence in the Society’, the NASFAT women affairs scribe called on movers and shakers of the world to live by their sayings and preaching of peaceful coexistence, as a significant part of the SDGs.

“For so many years, NASFAT (together with UNICEF, TOSTAN, among others) have been organizing programmes and campaigns in place to end gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination against women and girls.

“Obviously, whoever discriminates against the Hijab is not only violating the law and peaceful co-existence but also encouraging violence. Let’s rise against all forms of discrimination against women and girls. Let’s rise against all forms of discrimination against the Hijab,” she stated.

In her own remarks, Assistant Welfare Secretary, The CRITERION, Lagos District, Modinat Braimah, stated that the hijab marks the wearer as honourable, respectable, chaste and modest with expected high level of morals.

“The Muslim woman dressing does not oppress Muslim women or any other woman for that matter as the media wants to portray it. It is not a political tool or a fashion statement. It is the dignity of the human person of a Muslim woman as guaranteed by the constitution of our dear country Nigeria.”

Ameerah FOMWAN Lagos State, Alhaja Sherifat Ajagbe, who condemned the raping of sisters wearing Niqob (veils) in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, expressed sadness that Muslim women who are known to be modest have become targets of criminal elements.

The group called for the arrest and urgent prosecution of perpetuator of the heinous crime, Idris A.K.A Kesari and his father.

Assistant Secretary, Izharul – Haq Movement of Nigeria Toyyibah Ajani Abdul Quadri who lamented the harassments faced by hijab wearing Muslim students during exams registration, called on all exam bodies to do more in protecting the accuracy and integrity of their registration process and ensure that no laws are broken by their agents.

Ameerah, Al-Mu’minaat (The Believing Women) Organisation, Lagos State Bushrah Jubril-Adeagbo urged all females (daughters/wives/mothers), to live as agents of change, agents of growth as they are all raisers of the next generation.

“We are to protect that girl child whom Allah has bestowed us with as much as we protect the male child. There is a growing trend of insecurity all over, but the most worrisome is the situation of the girl child. This is because the girl child is the most vulnerable of the human species. It is therefore very important that we do all we can, to protect her. Every little girl you see out there is a prospective wife, and a future mother. So, inside that little body resides the future of humanity. Let us make the world safer for her; it is also for us all.

“Mothers especially must not forget their roles in the area of reformation. Let us not subject our children to inhumane treatment in the name of correction/reformation. We should hold the bull by the horn and educate our children (irrespective of the sex) spiritually, morally, academically, physically and socially so that we can all do the collective work of making the world a safer haven.

“We call on us all to join hands with the government to make Nigeria a safer place to live in, to stop all forms of vices and gender based violence, ritual killings, rape, and fraud. We should also engage in intentional Parenthood and mentoring the younger ones in order to live in a peaceful and better society.

“We further urge the government across all levels should stop paying lips service to protection and rights of all citizenry and further ensure the rights of female Muslims are always protected.

“As this is an election year, we will want all political aspirants at all levels not to heat up the polity, they should be objective and ensure that their campaigns are issue based, never toy with the rights of all individuals in the same vein all law enforcement agencies/parastatal should live up to expectation and always respond to security challenges as they arise and never be prejudiced such that the nation will not be plunged into a state of anarchy.

“While not forgetting our brethren across the globe, who are facing various challenges from Gaza in Palestine to Uighur in China, Kashmir in India, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Somalia and Syria amongst others. We call on the United Nations (UN) not to look the other way but live up to their responsibilities in honesty and fairness. Allahuma ursuna muslimina wal mujahideena fi Palestine wa fi kul makan. Ameen,” she prayed.

The coalition includes; Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria Lagos state Area Unit, Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Al Muminaat: The Believing Women Organisation, Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN Lagos), Muslim Public Affairs Centre ( MPAC), Guild of Muslim Professionals ( GMP), Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Pristine Cactus Foundation, The Criterion, International Muslim Women Union (IMWU), Pure Heart Islamic Foundation (PHF Lagos), Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria, Islamic Medical association of Nigeria ( IMAN), Akhawat, Izarul Haq Movement of Nigeria, Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque (LSCCM) and An-Nujabau Female Forum.