The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, MSSN, Lagos Unit has urged the Lagos State Government to issue a circular on the judgement recently passed by the Supreme Court which approved the use of hijab in all schools in the Lagos State.
The president of the group, Miftahudeen Thanni in a press conference on the court’s judgement on Hijab at the Lagos Secretariat Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja on Wednesday enjoined the government to dissuade their officials against harassing Muslim females who wear hijab. He furthered that issuing a circular will acurb the excesses of overzealous school teachers and principals.
According to him, “This is not to castigate the Lagos State Government but to appeal for the prompt implementation of the Supreme Court judgement.
We waited patiently to get the judgement and we were lawful throughout. During this period, we consulted, collaborated, protested, held rallies and sensitised government officials on why a willing Muslim female should be allowed to put on the hijab. ”
Recall that the Supreme Court on Friday, July 17, 2022 approved the wearing of hijab by female Muslim students to school in Lagos State after 10years of back and forth with the majority voting in favour of the motion.
The Lagos State Government however, appeared unsatisfied as they tried a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s decision but didn’t succeed which led them to release a circular to all principals of public secondary schools to allow female Muslim students wear hijab to school in November 2018 but some teachers seem not to be adhering to the instruction.
According to him, “When the Lagos State Government issued the circular, we thought relief had come, but it is utterly unfortunate that some school authorities and some defective teachers are working against the circular. They are interested in ultimately jeopardising law and order.
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.
For no reason should a girl-child be denied education again in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole!
The images of Muslim students sent out of the examination hall for wearing hijab touch the heart and consistently bring tears to the eyes. We do not want this to recur. The education of the girl-child is very paramount in our hearts. No Muslim girl should ever be told to choose between her faith and education. Both are her rights.
We demand that the Lagos State Government should issue a circular within 30 days after the delivery of the judgement allowing Hijab. The Lagos State Government should sanction officials who go against the Supreme Court judgment and hold a meeting with MSSN Lagos, Muslim leaders and other Islamic organisations on the size and modalities of using the hijab. ”
Asiyat AbdulKareem, who sued the Lagos State Government, stated that the harrassment of Muslim students must stop.
“We suffered to get this judgement and it is my hope that it will be an end to the victimisation someone like me suffered,” he said.
The Ameerah (female head) of MSSN Lagos, Basheerah Majekodunmi, also chipped in, “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. “
The Executive Secretary of Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, Shereefat Enessi, among others has come out to eulogise the Supreme Court for the judgement, stating that, “It is not a victory for the Muslims alone, it is a victory for civilization, for democracy and for peace.
We are not all Muslims and as such understanding, the importance of a religious command like hijab may not be easy, but at least we are all in the same boat that is Nigeria, pulling each other down would only take us all down. “
