by Akan Ido
If we say, okay, let’s allow these students begin to wear Hijab to schools, what happens to those who are not members of the religion? One day the children of native doctors would also come to school with horns and charms…
It started in February this year when Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, principal of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute Meta, Lagos Nigeria flogged one of her students, Aisha Alabi, 14, because she stubbornly wore Hijab, a head scarf worn by female Muslims, in the school premises against the rule of education in the state.
Then all hell was let loose as Muslim students under the umbrella of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, in protest, barricaded the main entrance of Lagos House which houses the office of the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola. For several hours, they remained at the gate observing some of their prayers and vowing to remain at the spot until the state government acted in their favour. A move by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Religious Matters, Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Kosoko, to calm them proved abortive as they remained resolute on seeing the governor who was said to have travelled that day.
Not satisfied, the protesters petitioned the state House of Assembly urging the members of the House to investigate the issue as such an act by the school principal posed a danger to the relative peace that exists among the various religious groups in the state. As expected, the members swung into action setting up a four member committee made of the House Chief Whip, Abdulrazaaq Balogun as the Chairman, Wahab Alawiye-King; Muhibat Rufai Adeyemi and Bimpe Akinsola, as members to look into the allegation and report to the House.
However, as if pre-empting the outcome of the investigation by the committee of the House, the MSSN and some Muslims have begun with threats and condemnation of the members of the committee, the yet to be released report as well as the executive arm of the state government. The new allegation is that the state legislature was in connivance with the executive arm to derail the course of justice.
Even though as reported, Mrs. Oladunjoye had said she had a meeting with stakeholders including the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Alhaji Oyinlomo Danmole, the Muslim students, and lawyers and that it was agreed at the meeting that students could only use their hijab when they want to go for prayers, when they want to read Qur’an, and when they are going for Jumat prayer on Fridays, the petitioners and other Muslim groups have taken that to mean that the state government had placed a ban on the use of the religious head-tie.
They hinged their argument on the Commissioners declaration that it was also agreed at the meeting that “whoever wish that his daughter should be wearing Hijab while going to school and within the school should send such child to a private Muslim school.”
However, investigations by YNaija has shown that neither has the executive arm of government or the legislative arm banned the use of Hijab as is being speculated. Instead, the government has only urged that the status quo be maintained by those who profess the religious faith and the stakeholders in the education sector of the state.
Few days after the setting up of the committee, its chairman presented a preliminary report to his colleagues explaining that the committee met with the school principal and the petitioners and appealed to them to thread softly while the House looked into the issue. He said the schools, students and the Muslim community have been asked to maintain the status quo.
“The Commissioner had asked that this status quo be maintained by everyone concerned in the case. In this sense, those alleging that the use of Hijab has been banned may not have gotten the right information. What the Commissioner said was that since the issue had not been fully resolved, the students should continue to maintain the standards and rules of education in the state,” Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King explained at the Assembly complex on Monday.
To further stress that the report on the ban on Hijab was mere speculation, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, has also explained that the state government had not come up with any final declaration on the issue as it was still consulting with stakeholders.
He said the present position was been peddled by people who wanted to heat up issues where there are none adding that it would be premature and pre-emptive to say that government has rejected the use of Hijab in public schools in Lagos.
When contacted, a member of the Committee said the House was not disturbed by the allegation that the members had connived with the executive arm to derail justice.
The lawmaker, who refused to be named, said it was normal for people to pre-empt the outcome of the House investigation as well as that being handled by the Commissioner for Education. He added that the actual report of the Committee had only been laid on the floor of the House and that it had not even been presented and adopted.
“The first thing you should look at is that the Governor is a Muslim, majority of his cabinet members are Muslims, members of the committee of the House are Muslims, majority of the House members are also Muslims. So, it is not like we are doing this thing to favour anybody or any particular sect of people,” the lawmaker explained.
According to him, Lagos state remains one of the most complex in the country where people inter-marry. He added that it whatever the outcome of the investigation was, it should be seen as the best for the continued co-existence of the state.
“If we say, okay, let’s allow these students begin to wear Hijab to schools, what happens to those who are not members of the religion? One day the children of native doctors would also come to school with horns and charms since that is going to be the rule. I see those pushing for this fight as hypocrites.
“For us who are Muslims, our holy book urges us to wear Hijab, but it also urges us to obey constituted authority. In this case, if there are laws of the land, they must be obeyed irrespective of who you are. These same people complaining would travel outside the country and obey simple instructions and regulations without remembering their religions, but when they come back home, they behave as if they are above the law,” another lawmaker told YNaija.
But a member of the MSSN who spoke our correspondent on phone explained that their grouse was that the state government seemed to be playing politics with the Hijab crisis. According to him, the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting held with the Commissioner was not what reflected in the minutes of the meeting held for that purpose.
Our grouse is that the outcome of the meeting as reflected in the letter head of the government and signed by Gafar Shakiru, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Fashola on Muslim Religion in March 2012, showed that the state had banned the use of Hijab instead of the normal agreement of allowing students to use it when they have religious matters to deal with.
According to him, the anger will only be subdued if the government agrees to play its part of the bargain.
Repeated calls to the state Commissioner for Education Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye as remained unanswered and short message services sent to her have come unreplied.
I wonder why people prefer following devilish ways of dressing! And some of these people are even be proud as men or women of God, while they do not even practice the teaching of prophets of God.
Mostly the way Christian women were dressing nowadays, create a lot of havocs in the society! By nature if you are not properly dressed you will create a lot of problems in the society. Exposing your hair is an indecency in the society, improper dressing that can lead to exposing woman’s shapes is also serious indecency among the community, because this is the main reason that the behaviour of illegal sexual activities spread all over the nation, which now dragged our society’s moral value to its lowest ebb! ”Nigeria is an environment that has been highly colonised by Western influence. This influence resonated in every part of our society: from our food, system of governance, architecture, etc.” our concept of ‘decency’ is changing as a result of this influence and as a result of dropping the divine teaching of our Holy Books!”
”Indecent dressing is a major cause of various assaults and sexual harassment recorded in our society over time,” “There is a strong opinion that a large number of rape victims were in turn victims of their own mode of dressing.” “There seems to be an increase in reports of violence against women in our society, and in the world at large, due to the way women dress indecently! Thereby causing many sicknesses and calamities in the society; just because we reject the commandments of Almighty God, especially our fellow Christians the custodians of the Holy Bible!
In the book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 11, Verse 5. Bible says:
5. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonored her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shown: but if it be a shame or shaven, let her be covered.
So this is what the Bible said, that the woman should veil her head. This is a common practice that our Muslims women do. But Christian’s women do not veil themselves while they are calling themselves the true followers of Jesus Christ.
However, they always show the picture of Mary (the Mother of Jesus), her head and entire body is covered. Because that is the requirement of women of faith. Women of faith have to cover themselves decently! Why Christians women do not want to take a very good example from her (Mary)? And they engaged on war against wearing Hijabs in a public Schools and in offices! Why??? If you will not adhere to the teaching of Jesus (may the peace of Allah be upon him); so you should not stop those who want to adopt his teaching and the teaching of the whole prophets of Allah!
That’s why Jesus, says “these people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…”. check in the Book of Mark, chapter 7, verse 6 downwards as well as in the Book of St. Matthew chapter 7, verse 21 downwards, for you to see what Jesus said about any one who do not want to follow his commandments, who do not want to do the WILL OF GOD. If you discover you are one of them, so you have to turnover a new leaf, or ealse Jesus will deny you; and finally you would enter Hell fire!
It is Muslim women conduct themselves modestly, it is Muslims women dress decently. This is because the religion that Jesus(may the peace of Allah be upon him) came with, and the religion that Muhammad (may the peace of Allah be upon him) came with, all are teaching decent dressing, by covering the whole parts of the body!
In the book of Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse 9 to 14. Bible says:
9. In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10. But (which becometh women professing Godliness) with good works.
Therefore you should allow our Muslim women or girls to dress decently, anywhere they find themselves!
Religion has been change by human!!! I mean, when has hijab become what should be part of uniform? U can chose to wear this at home and anywhere else but not school. This is what happen when religion become the decision maker/ what enact our law in a country like Nigeria
I am sorry for u. You have no clue. Is it important and compulsory that you should comment.
Stop showing your ignorance and learn a bit more, then you can contribute intellectually.
Is wearing hijab a new thing? Has it just bin introduced? Is is affecting the student’s activities or the teachers’ or principal’s duties? Is it worn on anybody’s head? Ycant nigerians stop this hatred for ones????? This is getting too much. Fine,the Quran asked us to obey authorities , but its in a sequence, after obeying ALLAH , the prophet then comes the authority, just take a deep nd sincere thought …. would u disobey your lord to obey authority? Let’s try and av a little tolerance @least for ones… Does the cele people wear there sultana always? Do their menstrating women wear sultana? In Islam, the hijab is part of a woman’s dressing,mestrating or not,praying or not… even in the west, they don’t stop people from wearing hijab to school, nd that is obviously where Nigeria is looking up to…. Lagos state government should just b sincere with the justice…
Why r u comparing lagos to other western states?lagos remains Lagos which is d best state permit me to say so,if d authorities said they don’t want it,and u ppl finds it difficult to comply fine,then why don’t just move ur education to a more n private muslim schools,where something of such will never be heard…let me ask u,can u travel to usa n insist on putting on hijab to their schools???I kn u dat r educated n u understands what I’m really saying..if u people are not ak wit law of d land….is of two ways either u move ur children to more muslim school or u simply obey the law of d land
So many poor and shallow conclusions which shows so much hatred and bias for Islam. A combined effect of sect 1(3) and sect 38 of the constitution renders the said regulation of Hijab of no moment because you cannot make any law or rule which is anti-thethical to our constitution. My opinion is that people should address issues objectively,intelligibily and holistically. Hijab is the funamental right of everyone who cares to use one and doesn’t trample on anyones right. We need to encourage and cultivate a culture of religious tolerance and deep thought before speaking of very sensitive issues! ‘Her right to cover,your to expose’
Is wearing hijab a new thing? Has it just bin introduced? Is is affecting the student’s activities or the teachers’ or principal’s duties? Is it worn on anybody’s head? Ycant nigerians stop this hatred for ones????? This is getting too much. Fine,the Quran asked us to obey authorities , but its in a sequence, after obeying ALLAH , the prophet then comes the authority, just take a deep nd sincere thought …. would u disobey your lord to obey authority? Let’s try and av a little tolerance @least for ones… Does the cele people wear there sultana always? Do they menstrating women wear sultana? In Islam, the hijab is part of a woman’s dressing,mestrating or not,praying or not… even in the west, they don’t stop people from wearing hijab to school, nd that is obviously where Nigeria is looking up to…. Lagos state government should just b sincere with the justice…
it’s amazing that MSSN has never agitated for improved quality of education but they are ready to grind activitites at the governor’s office because of hijab. SMH
Since we are not in an Islamic nation, we must remember that we have freedom of religion in our country. We just have to agree with their judgement. I am contented with their conclusion.
no body is above the law atleast even koran commands u to obey the law of the land so why is mssn acting in disobedent to the law? Thank God it is not in the north if not u knw what would have been the store by now
Mathew, you wrote that ” no body is above the law at least even koran commands u to obey the law of the land so why is mssn acting in disobedent to the law?”
Yes, but the law of the land should in no way go against the laws of Quran.
We will fight for our right and no one can give us, it has to be taken.
I just wish non -Muslims would realise that Islam is a way of like and not Christianity to Christians. Fashola answering Muslim do not mean he understands Islam requirements. He has no clue so also some other house members claiming to be muslims. They have no knowledge to give judgement, ask them, they must agree with me.
no body is above the law atleast even koran commands u to obey the law of the land so why is mssn acting in disobedent to the law? Thank God it is not in the north if not u knw what would have been the store by now
Is Hijab part of the school uniform of Lagos state public schools?
If it is, then nobody has any right to ban or stop it. If it is not then nobody has any right to introduce it.
Hmmmm …. If hijab is allowed, you people should be ready for Cele sutana in all schools o.