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The hue and cry over the issue of hijab in Kwara State is another testimony to the fact that after many years of living together as Muslims and Christians, we are yet to understand our differences. It is a constitutional right in Nigeria which is unambiguously enshrined in the Chapter 4, Section 38 (1) of the 1999 Constitution. The provision says: “Every person shall be entitled to 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.” I discuss this in a previous article. Thus, the hijab is a right; not a privilege. It is not inordinate to express such right.
The hatred for hijab by some non-Muslims is understandable. And in my humble opinion, they have right to hate it just as the Muslim females have right to don it. The right they do not have is to express their hatred for hijab in such a way that impinges upon the right of the hijab compliant Muslims. This is the scene that played (and is playing) out in Kwara State. If the hijab gives you headache, I think the best way to go about it is to visit a combined team of physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists for medication and counselling. To unleash anger on innocent students who choose to appear like Holy Mary (May Allah continue to show her mercy) and make her their role model in modesty is un-called for.
Some have argued that Kwara State is a Muslim majority state. This is true and incontrovertible. But the point is, even if it were in Ekiti or Ondo or Enugu State (for that matter) with non-Muslim majority, is it commonsensical to deny a student her right to use the hijab? There is this threat that the Christian students in the state will start dressing in their church attires to school. If they make real their threat, I think it is a plus to the Muslim community.
For the essence of the hijab is to cover the physiological contours of women’s bodies from the unrestricted prying eyes of strange people like me and other men. Men are not to blame for this. It is just natural. It is hypocritical for men to claim their eyes do not …… (I know you understand what I mean).
That is why Islam, being a practical religion, mandates the use of hijab for Muslim women. And any female Muslim who refuses to use the hijab tells Allah indirectly (or even directly) that He lacks authority over her choice of dressing—Subhaanallah! Though Allah created her to be dark or fair in complexion; to be tall or short, to be hairy or hairless, and to be intelligent or dull; and she could not decide otherwise. But she has the temerity to challenge the jurisdiction of Allah to dictate how she dresses. Hmmm. “Indeed mankind, to his Lord, is ungrateful. And indeed, he is to that a witness” (Q100:6 and 7).
Back to the issue of hijab in Ilorin. Some public schools with Christian names antagonize the use of hijab by the Muslim students. They argue that the schools are owned or rather founded by missionaries. For this reason, hijab would not be allowed. They claimed Muslim students are free to attend other hijab compliant school in the state. These arguments are very plausible only to the extent that these schools are not funded by the government. How would government pay salaries of staff, fund the schools and yet could not have a say on the use of hijab by the Muslims who are tax payers? I don’t think any serious government would take this humiliation.
Let me turn the argument the other way round. How can the Muslims impose the use of hijab on non-Muslim students in schools funded by government just because they are owned or established by them (the Muslims)? The truth of the truth is that any school funded by government is, of course, funded by tax payers who could be adherents of any religion. In this wise, it is wrong to deny Muslims the use of hijab just as it is wrong to impose the use of it on the non-Muslims. I don’t know of any truth or other logical argument than this.
Plus, government should not have business in running religious based schools since we have not learnt to live together. My advice to the Kwara State Government and other governments facing similar challenges is to return missionary’s schools back to their owners. This is best thing to do; except perhaps there are legal encumbrances to that or negative legal implications which I don’t know. In that case, no dime of public money should be spent to such schools in any way and by whatever means.
However, if the government chooses, in its wisdom, to continue to fund these schools, they therefore need to be renamed not to bear any trace of religion. Before me, Dr. Abdulkadir Oba-Solagberu expresses similar opinion and he is right. A Christian private school may stand against the use of hijab by Muslim students and likewise a Muslim private school may impose the use of hijab. Note that in both cases I said ‘MAY’. The best thing even in the case of private schools is to allow freedom of religion; and then reasonably proselytize your religion without any tinge of compulsion. “There shall be no compulsion in religion” says the Quran (Q2:256).
What played out in Baptist School, Surulere on Wednesday between Christians and Muslims is very sad. I don’t think the issue of hijab should be allowed to degenerate into that scene that only belongs to the primitive stone age where stones were hurled and tossed from both directions—Christians’ and Muslims’. In this 21st Century? We should please learn how to abide by the law. The court has ruled in favor of the use of hijab. If the ruling is not satisfactory, it can be challenged in the higher or highest court.
To worsen the whole issue, one tribal group who calls itself Oduduwa Republic—whatever that means—advises the Kwaran Muslims not to allow Fulani to turn them against Christians. This advice is apparently satanic and divisive. I think the Oduduwa Republic should be called to order not to add ethnicity to already boiling crucible. Must they be an agent of Satan? What has Fulani got to do with this? If they must divide the country, there are constitutional ways to that. Must we create chaos because we are tired of a union by focusing on the manageable flash point (ethnicity)? Or do they think Islam is a tribal religion? They should please be warned.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen writes from Gashua
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
