THE Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) have described as sadistic and barbaric, the attack on some Muslim students in Ijagbo, Kwara State, on Thursday last week.
The NSCIA, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, noted that victims of the “premeditated violence” were only exercising their “constitutionally guaranteed right” to peaceful protest over the decision of Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, to deny some female Muslim students entry to the school premises on account of their use of hijab.
The council, in a statement by its Director of Administration, Zubairu Haruna Usman-Ugwu, said the Muslim students’ despair peaked last week over “this unjust treatment” and blamed the aggravated situation on what it called the inaction of the Kwara State government to quickly arrest the situation and enforce its own directive to all public schools in the state on the use of hijab and berets for willing students.
“On the fateful day, according to credible reports and videos circulated on the social media, students on peaceful protests were gruesomely attacked by hired hoodlums and armed thugs wielding dangerous weapons, including guns, which were fired indiscriminately at the protesters. Many people were injured and at least one person, Habeeb Idris, was killed in the process.
“The level of savagery meted out to these innocent students through the connivance and inaction of those who are supposed to protect them is highly worrisome and deeply regrettable. In a world where diversity is increasingly recognised, it beggars belief that the authorities of the school and some religious leaders in Kwara State could be so brazen and inhuman in their complicity in decapitating students. This is another proof of the morbid hatred for Islam and Muslims by those whose identities will soon be unmasked by security agencies investigating the matter,” the NSCIA said.
It appealed to the Muslims in the state to remain calm and law-abiding.
While commending the state government on the various interventions made so far, the council advised them to be more proactive in handling issues like this in future.
Also, FOMWAN condemned last week’s violence on Muslim protesters in Kwara State by suspected hired criminals.
The national amirah of the association, Hajiya Rofiah Idowu Sanni, in a statement in Abuja, commiserated with the family of the dead protester and wished those receiving treatment in the hospital complete healing.
Hajiya Sanni, however, called on security agents to engage in a thorough investigation in order to arrest and prosecute the criminal elements responsible for the act and their sponsors.
She appealed to the Kwara State Muslim community to continue to toe the path of peace and the law to avoid aggravating the situation.
Also, Hajiya Sanni expressed worry over what she called the continuous persecution, oppression, victimisation and molestation of Muslim girls and women adorning the hijab not only in Kwara State but across the South West, calling on the relevant authorities to put a stop to the developments forthwith.
She said: “Let me use this medium to also call our attention to several other cases of hijab persecution in Oyo, Lagos and Ogun states. Muslim students are not only denied their divine and constitutional rights, they are being locked out of schools because they choose to adorn the hijab.
“The incessant discrimination against women using the hijab must stop. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria grants us the freedom to practise our chosen faith without discrimination and even the United Nations Charter.
“To my dear sisters, we need to renew and reaffirm our intention of using the hijab. The use of hijab is a means of worshipping Allah and seeking His pleasure. By virtue of that, we must use it for His sake. Using the hijab is not enough, but we should be of best character. We must be seen as good ambassadors of Islam, be diligent in dealing with people.
“Anyone using the hijab, khimar or niqab should know that they are carrying the emblem of Islam, as such, they need to act according to the teachings of Islam. You should be differentiated from the crowd for good.”
FOMWAN had led other Muslim women’s organisations in Nigeria to commemorate the 2022 World Hijab Day, held on February 1, clarifying that the annual event is not a festival as there are only two festivals in Islam.
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