… Believing Women group holds World Hijab Day
By Amidu Arije
Worried by continued discrimination of persons in hijab in the society, An Islamic Organization, Al-Muminaat (Believing) Women organisation has urged an end to the trend saying such hijab wearing is the right of every Muslim girl child.
The group at an annual World Hijab Day to educate people on the importance of hijab said there are still pockets of discriminations against persons using the hijab especially in schools in Lagos state despite court order allowing its use.
Amirah of the Isolo-Ejigbo local government of the organisation, Hajia Samiat Usman who spoke with The Bliss News disclosed that the World Hijab Day is meant to bring awareness on importance of wearing of the hijab to all and sundry speak against discrimination, molestation and intimidation of persons using the hijab.
Hajia Usman said the organisation has been having series of campaign programmes on the use of hijab by the female Muslims across board.
She said: “The essence of today’s occasion is to mark the importance of hijab and also create awareness that hijab is not leaving in bondage, it is not just a dress code, we want them to know that the hijab does not stop them from getting to whatever pick they want to get to in life. It is unfortunate that there are still pockets of discriminations against persons using the hijab in some schools in the state. This is against the law.
This awareness programme we started last year in our community here is already yielding result, today we have started seeing students who go to school with their hijabs on their uniforms. We have also seen many people in our community who through awareness on the importance of the hijab now adorned themselves with the hijab in accordance to the dictates of our Creator.
She said as part of her organization’s efforts to ensure that every Muslim female child uses the hijab in line with the dictates of Allah, the Al-muminaat organisation will be distributing free hijabs to students in the various schools around the Isolo and Ejigbo axis of Lagos state.
“We have perfected plans to distribute hijabs in various schools to the Muslim girl child to enable them use the hijab, we have observed that some of them are indigent and need support that is why we are going all out to support them with hijabs,” she said.
The Amira said the awareness programme which is in preparation for the world hijab day will be a continuous exercise to bring home the message of right of every female Muslim to use the hijab at all time and place without discrimination or molestation of any form.
Speaking on the occasion as a keynote speaker, Dr Ghaniya Tijani-Adenle urged the Muslim girl child to adorn herself with the hijab in accordance to the instructions of Allah.
The Lagos State University lecturer in Journalism department of the institution commended the judiciary for standing for the right of the citizens saying their stand and judgement on recognising the right of every girl Muslim child to use the hijab.
She however, frowned at the pockets of flagrant disobedience to judgement by some elements in the secondary schools across Lagos state saying such principal and or officials found culpable should be prosecuted in the law court.
She, said; “Despite the supreme court judgement allowing Muslim girls to use the hijab, we til have pockets of abuse and intimidation by some secondary school principals in the state who are given out cupral punishment to students for using the hijab which are in line with their uniforms in accordance to the guideline given by the state government on the use of hijab. This happens out of bigotry. We frown at this and I think the role of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) and Hijab Rights Advocacy are to start prosecuting such people in the law court, that is the next stage we are now.”
Chairman organising committee of the world hijab day, Hajia Qudrah Farayoola disclosed that the organisation carries out the exercise in order to bring the message on the use of hijab to everyone.
She said; “It is for us to create awareness that we have the right to use the hijab as ordained by our Creator. The discrimination against the use of hijab is another reason we are creating this awareness to help them stop it and we thank God this has been yielding result.”
A student of Al-Faruq College, Araba Musfat, commended the organisers for the programme saying the enlightment in importance of hijab she received has further broaden her knowledge on hijab use.
Kids Guide Int’l school, Ejigbo made Ewi presentation on the core essence of using Hijab to the admiration of the audience.
