The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has described the denial of the right to the use of hijab at International school, Ibadan, as stretching the endurance of Muslim students beyond its limit.
The society stated this in a statement jointly issued by the Amir/Zonal Coordinator MSSN Zone B, Barr Qaasim Odedeji, Secretary, Alh Abdul Jalil Abdur Rasaq, and it’s PRO, Engr Bashir Momoh.
According to MSSN, “the International School, Ibadan is a secondary school established, owned and controlled by the Management of University of Ibadan, a public university in Nigeria.
“In the usual characteristics of such and many other similar institutions dominated by non-Muslims in the southern part of Nigeria, the school has, for long, denied the female Muslim students the right to the use of hijab in accordance with the dictates of their religion, Islam and in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which gives every citizen fundamental right to freedom of religion and the right to profess and manifest same.
“The Muslims, as usual, endured the humiliation and embarrassment occasioned by this denial for so long until the 20th of October, 2018, when they wrote a letter through the Muslims Parents’ Forum of the institution under the leadership of Alh AbdurRahman Balogun informing the management of the desire of the female Muslim students to desist from being forced to act against the dictates of their religion citing the provisions of the constitution and judicial authorities to support their decision
“It would be expected of the management of the institution constituted by Academic giants who are supposed to know from the press of a button that the issue of hijab is beyond emotion and sentiment, it is a religious duty which is also sanctioned by the Constitution as interpreted by some courts of superior records.
“Unfortunately, the reverse was the case when the management headed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics of University of Ibadan closed their eyes to the truth and tried to handle the simple matter in a way that is capable of making it degenerate.
“The MSSN B-Zone therefore commend the Muslim parents forum of ISI for waking up to stop the abuse of the Muslim students of the school. The right to use hijab is not a privilege that can be negotiated. Therefore, MSSN B-Zone is in full support of the action and shall be ready to mobilize millions of its members across the length and breadth of southern Nigeria for actualization of the objectives.
“We also urge all critical stakeholders of the University of Ibadan under which ISI operates to wake up and live up to the reality that once Muslims stand for their right, there is no going back until victory is achieved.
“We thank the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics for his recognition that the school is privately owned. We trust that this great argument also recognizes that private institutions have no power to abuse the girl child, or any Nigerian, on the basis of religion. In case he is under intimidation from certain private quarters, we urge him to lift the veil from the so called private investors who are hell bent on abusing our girl childs emotionally and physically.
“We trust though that assuming without conceding, that the school is truly private owned, the private owners will be learned enough to know that private ownership does not take away the duty of acting responsibly under the provision of the constitution in respect of the right of Muslim girl-child.
“May we ask why must the Muslims in this part of the country be pushed to the limit of their endurance before they are accorded their right? In that circumstances, MSSN B-Zone therefore warns that people should stop stretching the limit of our endurance. They should live and let us live. Gone are those days when educational institutions are avenue to deny the Muslims the identities of their religion or convert them to Christianity.
“Shall we just let common sense prevail on this simple topic? Or shall we keep attacking the muslim girl-child on something that the whole world has recognised while we call ourselves a top citadel of learning?
