Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Muslim Students Threaten To Shut Down Lagos Over Hajib Harassment

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Friday, February 01, 2019

Muslim Students Threaten To Shut Down Lagos Over Hajib Harassment

The Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit has threatened to mobilise millions of its members to shutdown Lagos State if harassment of students wearing hijab persists.






The organisation said this at a press conference to commemorate the 2019 World Hijab Day on Thursday in Lagos.


The Amirah (female head) of the MSSNLagos, Hajia Basheerah Majekodunmi, while addressing journalists narrated the agonies of female Muslim students in the country.

She lamented that some of the students were slapped, embarrassed and subjected to emotional trauma for wearing hijab to schools.

She, however, explained that despite the circular issued by the Lagos State Government and the judgement of the Appeal Court favouring the use of hijab, female Muslim students are still facing tough times.


She said, "In the hands of government officials, especially teachers in public schools, our members are regular victims of physical and verbal assaults. The recent one being the slapping of a female Muslim student at Ikosi High School by an official of West African Examination Council (WAEC) for resisting to pull off her hijab. Other cases abound from Agbede Community Grammar School and Yewa Grammar School in Ikorodu, to Iba Estate Senior High School in Ojo.


"Before we got to where we are now on the issue of hijab, there were several legal engagements. The Appeal Court granted us all the reliefs we sought at the lower court and pronounced on our inalienable right to adorn the hijab not only in public secondary schools but in all spheres of education and life.
In November 2018, the Lagos State Government issued a circular to all principals of public secondary schools instructing them to allow students, who want to wear the hijab on their uniforms do so.


"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.


"Instead of obeying the circular, some school principals, vice principals and teachers feign ignorance of the approval of hijab in Lagos State,
and desperately began to deal with our members. We have constantly reported some of these cases to the government but little result is seen and some have been taken up legally.


"We call on the government to caution its indiscipline, unlawful officials among its teaching workforce. If not, the entire Lagos State will wake up one day to witness an abrupt shutdown by millions of our members and sympathisers."



She subsequently alleged the Lagos State Government of conniving with some of its officials to frustrate a peaceful usage of hijab in schools.


Majekodunmi also asked the WAEC to caution its members to stop violating Nigeria constitution and existing judgement that affirm the right to use hijab by female Muslim students.


She said, "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 are a peaceful community and we have respect for democratic values and the rule of law, but we will not allow our fundamental human rights to be tampered upon. It's utterly sad that we are experiencing too much of assaults and abuses on the Muslim female folks, because they are wearing hijab. This discrimination is too much, and it has to stop! The government has to criminalize assaults against people wearing hijab.


"The illegal action against Muslim students wearing hijab has caused our members huge psychological trauma that some of them now feel hated and rejected in their own country."


The Muslim group insisted that it was not asking government for a favour but requesting that its members should not be denied of their rights.


"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 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."


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.

25 comments:

  1. They should allow this people wear their hijab in peace....this is not fair,slapping them too.

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    Replies
    1. I don't support wearing of hijab to examination hall, is fraud.

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  2. This people and their wahala. God please can we be free of this scourge?

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  3. I thought they gave them free will to wear Hijab. Please individuals should learn how to respect others religion or belief.

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    Replies
    1. Toh! Person no understand again o.

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    2. They will be well respected in Muslim schools, it's just like going to covenant uni and saying you must wear hijab

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  4. Are they still on this? I thought the matter is in the court.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you read at all? Or you just want to hurry to comment?

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  5. Teachers don't feel safe na, examiners feel the hijab also aids examination malpractice.I really wonder why we are allowing religion sip into every spheres of our lives.Can't religion and it's garments remain in the mosque or church alone?

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    Replies
    1. Best comment so far, don't mind them.

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    2. I don't know for us o.

      We carry religion on the head, yet we perpetrate evil everyday.

      How can someone wear hijab to examination hall

      Delete
  6. This Hijab thing is just not acceptable ,its never a part of the uniform ,so what's the fuss about? Go to Islamic schools if you must wear hijab.If everybody comes to school in their robes ,who will stand?

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    Replies
    1. I wonder o.

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    2. Very well said.

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    3. abi oooh. i just tired mhen. go to a muslim schoold were wearing of hijab is condone and stop being a nuisance mbok. haba

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    4. who exactly dictated how uniforms should look like, what is there in tolerating them with the hijab, I know your type, you will manage to travel abroad and be shouting fundamental human rights, when you cant even tolerate your fellow Nigerian.

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  7. Haba these people and their hijab nonsense again!
    If Christians were in Muslim schools, no one would've respected their religion and they would've been forced to wear hijab. So why do they Muslims, the most intolerant group of people ever, feel they deserve any special courtesies when they don't even give other religions the same courtesy?
    Secular schools and religion should be kept far apart. If as a Christian mom, I feel secular schools are impeding on my daughter's religion, I will take my daughter to a CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.
    Therefore if as a Muslim, you feel your religion is more important than anything, TAKE YOUR CHILD TO A MUSLIM SCHOOL! OR WORK WITH A MUSLIM ORGANIZATION!
    Gbe body e!

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  8. Let them go to Muslim School for Peace to Reign ooo.. But that Slapping Part Is a no no ooo.

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  9. They should go to muslim school naw! Why a lot of commotion because of Hijab!mtcheeeeeew

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  10. These people and their endless wahala. They're a menace to the society! For real..

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  11. It's like it's time to have 'Government Religious schools' separate from the regular ones. Haba! Is it only Islam and Christianity that they think people practice in Nigeria? I am against victimisation of people due to their religious affiliations but fanatics too should also know where to draw the line on incessant demands.

    If everyone decided to wear their religious paraphernalia to school, wouldn't there be chaos? Instead of shutting down Lagos, let them kukuma take their wards to muslim schools where they can dress in peace. Every day wahala because of religion and dressing. Na wetin? I can even understand if they want it approved for Fridays only because of Jummaat but very soon now, they will say muslim students should be allowed to pause lessons in order to pray five times during class as a religious obligation. What if Sango and Ogun worshippers wanted freedom to bring machete to school during the rainy season so that they could raise it up whenever there was a crack of thunder? Oh-ho! Shebi we all have rights na.

    Government should do and build hijab schools for them biko let us drink water and drop cup in peace. So all schools should now include hijab in their uniforms when it was not so designed from the outset? As as how na? Some people are just allergic to peace for real. Much ado about everything.

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  12. This hijab matter should rest

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  13. Heaven knows I will scrap religious practice outside the home.

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  14. This shouldn't be an issue, most schools have berets so why can't the Muslim girls wear there beret? In my secondary school then all the Muslim girls I knew never took of their beret.

    ReplyDelete

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