Coalition, MURIC hail Firdaus’ call to bar

The Coalition of Muslim Organisations in Nigeria and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) have commended the Nigerian Law School, the Body of Benchers and the Council of Legal Education for deeming it right to grant redress by calling Amasa Firdaus to bar with her hijab.

The Nigerian Law School called Amasa Firdaus alongside others to bar on Tuesday. She was allowed to wear her hijab.

Firdaus had been denied entry into the hall for the ceremony in December 2017. The denial attracted criticisms and the attempt by the House of Representatives to intervene via public hearing was truncated by a court injunction.

The Coalition, which consists of 36 Islamic organisations in Nigeria, described the development as a long walk to justice.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the coalition also expressed appreciation to the House of Representatives for taking interest in the matter.

“We do hope that other professionals/professions and institutions both public and private, will take a cue from this and emulate what the Body of Benchers has done in the case of Firdaus.

“It is needless to be dissipating energy subsequently on a matter that has been constitutionally and judicially resolved on account of unnecessary sentiments and bias.

“Going forward, we should feel concerned more about issues that unite us as Nigerians rather than create artificial and unproductive cleavages in our relationship,” the coalition said.

MURIC, in a statement by its director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the Nigerian Law School had succeeded in restoring the confidence of Nigerian Muslims in legal education by giving recognition to the identity of the Muslim person.

MURIC appealed to the authorities to allow other female Muslim students who elect to wear hijab below their wigs in future call to bar ceremonies.

The organisation argued that Muslims could not be fully integrated into all aspects of Nigerian life unless authorities make inclusiveness a cardinal principle in their policies, rules and regulations.

MURIC also commended the House of Representatives for its quick intervention in the Law School hijab saga.

The association commended all Islamic organisations which showed interest in the struggle to liberate the Nigerian Muslim woman from the “shackles of neo-colonialism as epitomised by the Amasa Firdaus phenomenon.”

It appealed to Muslims throughout the country to be humble in victory and to pray for a brilliant and successful law career for Firdaus.