Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara state, has been in the news over the controversy that surrounded the wearing of Hijab in some Christian schools. TOPE SUNDAY takes a look at the issues in this piece.
Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara state, is a cosmopolitan city going by its record of significant immigration of people from other parts of Kwara state and the rest of Nigeria. The city, which is located in the central part of the state, has two to three areas that are predominantly dominated by the Hausa and Igbo, while other tribes are minorities in those areas in terms of trade and investment.
At Agaka in Ilorin West local government area of the state, though the area is an integral part of Ilorin, the majority of shop owners are Igbo, and are majorly Christians. Checks by Blueprint Weekend revealed that from the time immemorial, the host community and their tenants had not for once fought over religion.
Similarly, I was gathered that in the Sango area, which is dominated by the Hausas, there was no report of violence emanated from religious intolerance.
Ilorin and religious tolerance
Ilorin, a confluence of cultures, populated by the Fulani , Yoruba, Hausa, Nupe, Bariba and Kanuri tribes from across Nigeria, as well as foreign nationals. There are large Christian and Islamic populations and many ceremonial activities, mostly with religious aspects, take place in the city throughout the year. Also, Ilorin has a friendly environment.
A Christian, Samuel Shina, who was raised in Ilorin, told this reporter how he grew alongside his Muslim friends and recalled with nostalgia how they feted together during the Christmas and Eid el-Kabir festivities.
“Ilorin is a very peaceful town and that aided its development. From Agaka to Odo Ita, Tanke, Saw Mill and other interior parts of the state, it was fun for us why we were growing up. My father, a timber seller and a Christian, would call a Muslim to slaughter our goat at Christmas and we would all celebrate it together.
“Also, during Ileya (Eid el-Kabir), our parents would not stop us from going to our Muslim friends to celebrate. Our Muslim neighbours at Agaka area would share the ‘Ileya meat’ for us both cooked and the fresh ones. We had harmonious relationships in Ilorin,” he recalled.
The Hijab brouhaha
However, the peaceful co-existence that Ilorin is known for is now being threatened by the controversy over the wearing of Hijab in some missionary schools in the metropolis.
The governor, Malam Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, was swift enough to shut down the 10 affected schools. However, the position taken by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) that Kwara is a predominantly Muslim state and advised missionary school owners to take their business to Rivers state instead of trying to change the identity of Muslim children by force is seen in some quarters as an attempt to escalate the incident.
A social media user, John Kus, who punctured the group’s statement, said its stance could not sustain the peace in the community, urging the adherents of both religions should embrace peace.
“If this statement (MURIC’s statement) can bring peace, there is no problem about it. I think the two (Islam and Christianity) have to come together as one family because there were no Muslims and Christians before religion came,” he said.
Another user, Oyeniyi Taiye Oyebanji, wondered why the group is interested in the escalation of the crisis; according to him, the state belongs to the adherents of both faiths.
“Why do you normally want to cause problems? Kwara belongs to all of us. Go ahead and ask for Ilorin state. South, central and north, we own the state together. You can only say we have few Christians in Kwara central,” he said.
On his part, Olaoye Shola Julius said: “Please, stop posting what can cause trouble in the state. We own the state together and we cannot run for one another.”
The new twist
Last week, the governor hurriedly closed the affected schools as the Muslim parents and Christian communities were hell bent. But a statement issued by a former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, advising the governor to handle the issue with caution was greeted with resistance by the Muslim community.
Some Muslims accused the ex-minister of promoting western education above the Hijab, while some gave Abdullahi’s message religion collation; others have introduced politics into his stance.
But while the ripples generated by his statement were yet to simmer, the state government ordered the re-opening of the affected schools on Wednesday. However, the development, according to reports turned bloody.
Blueprint Weekend gathered that violence erupted between Christians and Muslims in one of the affected schools when they were trying to outsmart each other. In the process, they reportedly engaged each other in a war of words and eventually threw stones at each other over the resumption of students. This medium learnt that scores were reportedly injured in the process.
Way forward
An old student of Government High School, Ilorin, Abdulganiy Saad, who took to his Facebook page to react to the controversy, sued for peace among the adherents of the two faiths. Saad, who recalled how he started the Islamic prayers in his former school in 1999, urged the state government to apply wisdom in resolving the issue.
“Why did I write this, the Kwara state government needs to use wisdom in resolving the issue of Hijab that is trending in the state right now? Despite the fact that my principal was a devout Christian, he was happy that a Muslim student stepped out to pray for the first time on the assembly in his school. He is late now; may God bless his soul.
Let’s tolerate one another; we are firstly humans before our religion distinguishes us.
On his part, an Abuja-based journalist, Marcus Omoniyi Fatunmole, who reacted via his Facebook page, said Muslim girls should be allowed to wear Hijab in schools, arguing that everyone is entitled to enjoy the full privileges and rights of his or her faith.
He said: “In my opinion, a Christian school cannot enrol a Muslim girl-child and prevent her from wearing Hijab. That is one of the symbols of her faith. Everyone is entitled to enjoy the full privileges and rights of his or her faith. I think missionary schools have just an option to avoid this Kwara controversy: tell the girl’s parents that your school is not open to enrolment of a hijab-wearing child when they bring her for enrolment.
“You cannot collect tuition fees, PTA funds, etc, and stop her from practising her faith. Whatever stands on her way to doing what her faith demands inhibits her from serving her God. That, to me, is unacceptable in a secular society as ours.
“Leave Muslims to serve their God in their own way and allow Christians to follow their God as they choose; that is one of the ways we can allow fairness to reign among us. Departure from this will only attract hate and crisis.
“Please, remember, I said it’s my opinion. I believe that for a heterogeneous people as ours to live together in peace, there must be tolerance; and freedom of all to do what is just before the law must be allowed, unhindered.”
