SECOND TERM: Muslims will speak to you in language you understand, ‘No hijab, No vote’, MURIC tells Gov Makinde

*Restricting hijab to Muslim schools only an abracadabra unacceptable

*Makinde has approved persecution of Muslim students in Oyo public schools – Analysts

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Analytically, Governor Seyi Makinde has currently divided Oyo State along religion line, playing politics as dictated to him by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), to the detriment of the generality of the people. This is because, he has practically said in public schools named, for instance, Anglican Grammar School, all Muslim students therein will now have Christian doctrines imposed on them, which is in breach of the Section 38 of the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution he swore to defend.

As the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, now throws himself into the hijab controversy that Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leads persecuting female Muslim students over same in entire Yoruba Land of South West, he has been told point blank how hijab will determines his electoral success come 2023.

Governor Makinde, who gave positive signals to the hijab controversy in his state last week, has reportedly recounted and has, therefore, got his full response from the Muslim Ummah.

Part of those who have responded was the Muslim Rights Concern has described his u-turn as hijab abracadabra. MURIC has fired back by telling the governor that Muslims will speak to him in the language he understands using the slogan ‘No hijab, No vote’.

MURIC’s reaction was made known in a statement circulated to the media including The DEFENDER, on Saturday, 12 February, 2022 by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

According to the group, “Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has turned 360 degrees after initially making a positive statement on the use of hijab in all public schools. Earlier in the week, the governor was quoted as saying, ‘I have instructed those in positions of authority in the state’s public service and across all our public schools not to intimidate or harass anyone because of their religious beliefs or practices.’

“But in his latest pronouncement, the governor has restricted the approval of hijab to Muslim schools only. Makinde ate his words when he said, ‘In Christian named/faith-based public schools, the student’s uniform should be in line with established tradition of the school and Christian religion.’

“The governor only stopped short of adding, ‘school authorities in Christian schools are now free to intimidate and harass Muslim girls who wear hijab’ but those authorities understand the governor’s body language.

“Makinde’s u-turn is hijab abracadabra and Muslims in the state will speak to him in the language he understands. Our response is a simple slogan: ‘No hijab, No vote’. Makinde may succeed in forcing the horse to the water but he cannot force it to drink. Let him ask those dictating to him behind our back to come and vote for him.

“Oyo State under Makinde is a cornucopia, in a never ending dazzling kaleidoscope. In Greek mythology, cornucopia is a horn containing various things. The governor himself is a bundle of contradictions: democratic and reactionary, liberal and dictatorial, consistently inconsistent, leaning heavily to the right but simultaneously putting his whole weight on the left. Nobody can place Makinde.

“Makinde’s policy somersault is commonsensically nonsensical. We urge all Islamic organisations to mobilise their members for the election period. Oyo State Muslims have a date with destiny in 2023. That is the date they will take their destiny in their hands. They must decide whether to remain slaves or become masters of their own destiny. They must decide whether to free their mothers, sisters and daughters from constant humiliation, intimidation and coercion or to leave them in perpetual oppression, tyranny and persecution.

“Oyo State Muslims must take the message of liberty to the villages and hamlets. The hills of Moniya and the valleys of Akanran must echo our slogan. ‘No Hijab, No Vote’ must reverberate on Mapo Hill. Muslim women in Oyo-Ile, Oke Ogun, Ogbomosho, etc, must breathe the air of liberty. Enough is enough. We are leaving Babylon.

“Muslims who have voters’ cards must dust them up. They should check them now and ensure they remember where their voters’ cards are kept before the day of election. Those who have no cards should quickly set the machinery in motion to collect their PVC. Your vote is your weapon. Your vote is your power. Your vote will liberate you from the tyranny of your oppressors.

“What are we saying and what is Seyi Makinde telling us? Our children are enslaved in Christian captivity and Makinde is there double-speaking. Who is he deceiving? Who owns the schools, the so-called ‘Christian named/faith-based public schools’?

“Who is paying the teachers’ salaries? Who is funding the schools? Is it not the state government? Who put the state government there? Is it not the people, the citizens, the electorate? Who are the electorate? Are they not the Christians and the Muslims together? Where does the state government get the money to fund the schools? Is it not from the people’s tax?

“Seyi Makinde must tell us if Muslims of Oyo State are not paying tax. He must tell us if it is only Christians in the state who are tax payers. It is the height of injustice to prohibit the use of hijab in the so-called ‘Christian named/faith-based public schools’. Those schools belong to all of us. Government acquired them long ago and compensated the missionaries. They are part of our common patrimony. They are nothing but public schools.

“Our daughters who are in those schools must not be robbed of their identity. Hijab is their identity. It is when they are allowed to use their hijab in those schools that there is real tolerance if Makinde truly believes in religious tolerance. The implication of Makinde’s compromising u-turn is that Muslim children who remain in such ‘Christian’ schools have no access to freedom of religion while inside the schools.

“In short, they are not Muslims while in the ‘Christian’ schools. That is absolute bunkum. It is unacceptable. Makinde has a choice : allow Muslims to use hijab in all schools or divide schools in the state into two : one for Muslims and the other for Christians.

“This will mean that Christian students will be transferred to Christian designated schools and vice versa. It is not our wish. It is Seyi Makinde’s choice. He has already built a strong wall of demarcation between Christians and Muslims. That is Makinde’s way of creating unity and harmony : ‘To your camps Oh Israel’.

“Makinde’s claim that ‘Our government is god-fearing and we will continue to preach religious tolerance, equality and justice, which will further engender peaceful coexistence, love and togetherness’ is sheer rhetoric. Makinde is just playing to the gallery.

“Where is religious tolerance when the hijab worn by little girls cannot be tolerated? Where is equality when Christian students wear Christian uniform but Muslim students are not allowed to use Muslim uniform? Where is justice when Muslim students are forced to wear Christian uniform? How can there be peaceful coexistence where one group is treated with scorn? Can there be love in deprivation? Or togetherness in exclusivism? Wonders will never end in Makinde’s Animal Farm.

Seyi Makinde is over-pampering Christians in the state at the expense of their Muslim counterparts. It is therefore hypocritical of him to talk about forging unity and harmony in his state. The Christians are living fat on the Muslims while Makinde throws the Muslims to the ground with his policy make-belief and places his heavy knees on their necks. Like George Floyd, Oyo State Muslims are screaming : ‘We can’t breathe.’ But Makinde is not worried. Nero is dancing while Rome is burning.”

Analytical views

Analytically, Governor Seyi Makinde has currently divided Oyo State along religion line, playing politics as dictated to him by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), to the detriment of the generality of the people. This is because, he has practically said in public schools named, for instance, Anglican Grammar School, all Muslim students therein will now have Christian doctrines imposed on them, which is in breach of the Section 38 of the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution he swore to defend.

The governor did this, knowing full well that Islamically and constitutionally, Muslim named schools, example Ansar-ud-Deen College, will not break such laws to persecute Christian students. In all Muslim named public schools across South West, Muslim students struggle to be taught Arabic and Islamic Studies while Christian teachers in those Muslim named public schools still use Christian doctrines to conduct schools’ activities.

Makinde, as Head of government that should do justice to ensure that things are justly done for the peace of both Muslims and Christians, who should be able to tell CAN leaders to their faces that religious intolerance, bias and injustice towards members of Islamic faith are unbiblical and who should be seen as soccour by Muslims, has chosen to do the bidding of the Christian leaders persecuting Muslims in schools and offices in Oyo State.

In the North West, which is general and officially known to be predominantly Muslim region, Christian students not only enjoy their rights to religious practice and education bit also, they are gainfully employed into offices owned or headed by Muslims and without hindrance. There is no single Christian in public or private school in the North, forced to wear hijab because they accept from them that uncovering the head is Christian way.

One of those, who have complained against the Oyo State anti-hijab policy of Governor Seyi Makinde, have said that “Our leaders of government in South West, who should be referees for justice and peace, are themselves the architects of the problem.

“A governor is backing ritualists, who kill Muslims for not accepting to be locked down for their Oro on one side, another governor is giving Christian Association of Nigeria backing to persecute and even kill Muslims on the other side. Do these governors know they are the major reason Nigeria seems not to be working or not? They swore to defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but they are the ones breaking the constitutional provisions because they become so weak to wage war against their religious bigotry and ethnic jingoism in them,” he asked.