₦airaland Forum

SalamRushdie:
Southern Kaduna Peoples Union



Press Release

El-Rufai’s dastardly plot to incite violence over ‘Kajuru Killings’



The attention of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has been drawn to a report credited to Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai over alleged killings of 66 Fulani in Kajuru Local Government Area. We are at a loss as to the real motive behind the governor’s disclosure, made public less than 24 hours before the commencement of national polls that were postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We are of the view that el-Rufai’s comments over the Kajuru killings was deliberately orchestrated to inflame ethnic and religious sentiments to produce yet another cycle of bloodshed.



SOKAPU has reached out to the various community leaders in Kajuru, including officials of the Adara Nation to ascertain what actually happened. On Sunday, February 10, 2019, the Adara natives residing in Ungwar Barde in Kufana District of Kajuru Local Government Area came under attack by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen. The attack lasted from 10pm of Sunday to 4am of Monday February 11, 2019. By the time the merchants of deaths and destructions were through with their mission, no fewer than 11 lives, including a pregnant woman, were lost. Scores of victims of the attack on Ungwar Barde sustained injuries, with some of them presently receiving treatment at some health facilities in the state capital. We have been informed that the attackers, seven of them in number, were arrested by a team of policemen. Sadly, not a statement was issued by el-Rufai over that gruesome attack on Ungwan Barde.



Following the Sunday attack on Ungwan Barde, residents of Ungwan Busa and Doruwa located in Kajuru LGA deserted their villages for safety. Presently, the District Head of Kufana and four of his village heads, on the directive the governor, have been summoned to Kaduna and ordered to produce persons behind ‘reprisal attacks’. However, the monarchs have told their interrogators that they are unaware of any ‘reprisal attacks’ and, therefore, unable to identify persons behind such attacks. Apart from the 11 corpses of Adara natives that were killed during the Sunday attack, the community leaders have denied knowledge of any attack.



Arising from the above, SOKAPU is shocked at the deliberate falsehood by el-Rufai who found it convenient not to inform the world of an earlier attack that claimed the lives of 11 Adara natives. SOKAPU is convinced that Governor el-Rufai is on an irrevocable journey of inflaming ethnic conflagration that has always been in line with his deliberate chronicle of profiling Southern Kaduna people as favourably disposed to violence.



We wish to inform Nigerians and the world that it has always been in the character of the governor to promote violence through spreading hate speech for the advancement of his waning political survival. If the governor, who was aware that Adara natives were killed on Sunday, neglected to come public, then Nigerians and the world are well placed to understand the nebulous and evil motives of el-Rufai who once shocked Nigerians on national television that he had paid whopping sums of money to foreign herdsmen involved in attacking communities in Southern Kaduna.



SOKAPU is calling on the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Department of State Service (DSS) to carry out an independent investigation and tell the world the truth of what actually happened in Kajuru. We are startled that it was the governor and not the police that announced the alleged killings in Kajuru. Let Nigerians and the world know that, should there be any breakdown of law and order in Kaduna state, Governor el-Rufai should be held responsible.



We wish to appeal to Kaduna state people to remain calm and not react to any form of provocation, including the current attempt to incite ethnic and religious brushfire. We call on our people, comprising diverse ethnic members of various religious persuasions, to be steadfast in our collective resolve to stand together and not allow ourselves to be divided by this divisive governor. We call on men and women of good conscience to condemn el-Rufai’s dastardly antics as he attempts to goad our state down the slippery slope of yet another round of unprecedented crisis.



Sign:

Yakubu Kuzamani

National PRO

Much of what Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (An annex of CAN) wrote/say is untrue, or atleast unsubstantiated. CAN continued effort to deny the grisly obvious was sinful, callous and cynical. They have been spectacularly ill-informed and incurious about the whole affairs by the Souther Kaduna Peoples Union. They appears to view this issue mainly as a means for partisan point-scoring and personal glory. CAN should emulate MURIC instead to remain apolitical and eschew insolence.

Sixty-six Fulanis have been reportedly killed in Kajuru Local Government of Kaduna State. The incident occurred towards evening on Friday, 15th February, 2019.


In a swift reaction, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the killing. MURIC, an Islamic human rights organization, described the killings as barbaric, inhuman and provocative. In a press statement issued minutes after the report of the killings reached Nigerians, the rights group said it was certain that the killings were intended to truncate the general elections which are set to begin tomorrow, Saturday, 16th February, 2019. The statement was signed by the director and founder of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.


“This killing is horrendous and cowardly act. It is calculated to truncate the general elections and also to provoke reactions. It is nothing but a terrorist act. No more, no less. The culprits must be apprehended. We strongly condemn the killings. Those who target vulnerable and innocent women and children for merciless killings deserve due punishment.


“These are rebellious subjects, enemies of peace. They see defeat staring at them squarely in the face in the 2019 elections. But they have decided to tow the path of violence instead of taking the expected outcome with equanimity.


“MURIC charges the Commissioner of Police in charge of Kaduna State to bring the culprits to book with immediate effect. Steps must be taken by both the government and security agencies to prevent the crisis from escalating. We appeal to Fulanis in the state to exercise restraint.


“The timing of the killings suggest that the culprits intend to cause mayhem capable of disrupting the general election not only in Kaduna State but in the whole country. That is why they launched their attack on the eve of the general elections. They have only used Kaduna State as a launching pad. We therefore call on the Nigerian security agencies to be on the tip-toes of alertness in order to ward off any crisis that rears its ugly head anywhere in the country particularly during the general elections.


Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

http://muslimrightsmuric..com/2019/02/muric-condemns-killing-of-66-fulanis-in.html?m=1

This is a religious motivated witch hunt by CAN. But the main uncertainties are what the balance will be between the good (MURIC) and the bad (CAN), and whether South West leaders have the skills and the strength to enact the peoples' agenda.

HIJAB CRISIS IN SOUTH WEST SCHOOLS:
You are all aware of the proliferation of hijab crises in several schools around the South West. About nine (9) female Muslim Students were locked out of their schools’ gates at the University of Ibadan International School (UIS) because they used hijab. Fifty-five (55) students were locked out of their schools’ gates at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) International School, Ogbomoso, for the same reason.

Some of these infringements have been taken to court. Examples are those of UIS and Abeokuta where nine-year-old Aisha AbdulAleem of Gateway Secondary School, Abeokuta, went to court to enforce her Allah-given fundamental human rights because she was disallowed from using hijab in the school.

An interesting development is the overbearing involvement of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in these cases. In the UIS case, CAN came in under the guise of the Christian parents in the school. They sought to be joined in the case. CAN did not disguise its identity in the Abeokuta case and it mobilized many Christians who attended court during each hearing. The atmosphere became so charged that the court authorities had to disallow both Muslim and Christian supporters from entering the court at the last hearing on Wednesday 23rd January, 2019.

Even the traditionalists sought to be joined in the case. They appeared under the aegis of Traditional Healers Association. We have no doubt, however, that the traditionalist angle is still part of CAN’s manipulation.
We hereby raise serious objection to the intervention of CAN in hijab cases because the matter is for Muslims and it has nothing to do with Christians. They have not complained about the existing school uniform because it suits them. It is the Muslims who are complaining because it does not conform with the rules of Islam.

The current school uniform was designed by the British colonial masters before independence. That uniform was designed to suit Christians because the colonialists were Christians. Nigerian authorities should have reviewed it after independence but they failed to do so. Muslims are seeking to use their own because it is not suitable for female Muslim students as it contravenes Islamic dress code for females. Schools where Muslim girls are not allowed to use hijab are therefore forcing Muslim students to use Christian uniform.

This attitude is neo-colonial, neo-imperial, oppressive, undemocratic, archaic and tyrannical. It is an infringement on Section 38 (i) & (ii) which stipulates that “every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance’’

It is disheartening that although Muslims in the South West choose peaceful conduct instead of resorting to violence, our Christian neighbours still will not let us be. There is no doubt that Muslims who go to court over the violation of their hijab rights are taking the civilized and peaceful option. But Christians in Yorubaland under the aegis of CAN still seek to frustrate them by joining the cases in the court. But here is the paradox, the confusion. Did the Muslims take CAN to court? Did they take Christians to court? The answer is capital NO. The Muslims sued the school authorities or the state government. What, then, is CAN’s problem in the South West? CAN’s attitude symbolizes acrobatic religiousity.

A good example is the Osun hijab imbroglio which occurred about four years ago. The Muslims took the state government to court and won the case. The state government therefore allowed the female Muslim students to use hijab but the Osun chapter of CAN went haywire. The leaders instructed Christian students to wear church garments to school instead of their normal school uniforms just to create confusion. So they came in white robes, celestial garments and church choir dresses. They also incited traditionalists to appear in masquerade gears to school!

But it did not last because it was all hocus pocus. It was not convenient for the Christian students but they were doing it out of spite. We told them at the time that they were wasting their time. Where are those who wore celestial church dresses in Osun today? What of the masquerades? But the Muslim girls still wear their hijab to school. They eventually got their freedom. What the CAN leaders in Osun failed to realise is that Muslim girls are used to their hijab. They wear it at home and wherever they go. It is not for school alone. CAN relied on social truth. We rely on divine truth and it is certain that the latter will eventually overwhelm the former.

Hijab is sine qua non in Islamic dress code. The Muslim girl-child uses hijab from childhood even before she starts going to school. Therefore nobody has the right to deprive her of it in any school, whether primary, secondary or tertiary. Muslim students still use hijab after returning from school. They change from the uniform hijab and put on any other hijab that fits the cloth they wear. The fact that Muslim women use it on the streets and market places is enough evidence that hijab is part and parcel of Islam. They are beautiful in it and they are proud of it. It is their identity. It is their symbol of liberty.

But a church garment is for church affairs only. It is an aberration to wear it to school. It is an anomaly to wear it when visiting a friend. Which parent will send his son or daughter to the market while dressed as a masquerade? That is the ridiculous, insipid and pedestrian level that gymnastic spirituality and articulated neo-imperialism has driven CAN to in Yorubaland. That is why they are contesting every court case on hijab with Muslims.

Meanwhile MURIC is keenly watching the court proceedings in the ongoing hijab cases in Ibadan and Abeokuta. We warn the Oyo and Ogun chapters of CAN not to make any attempt at perverting the course of justice. We know what they are capable of doing. We have no doubt that the current travails of the high and powerful in the judiciary is enough to send a strong message to the courts handling the hijab cases.


LAGOS SCHOOLS DISALLOWING USE OF HIJAB:
Despite the fact that the constitution is on our side and some state governments have actually issued positive directives, some recalcitrant and fanatical Christian school principals are still frustrating our efforts. Lagos State is an example. The Court of Appeal gave victory to Muslims but the state government appealed to the Supreme Court. An attempt to secure stay of action was turned down. Yet the state government did not allow the use of hijab until late in November 2019.

To date many Christian principals and teachers refuse to allow hijab in their schools. Unfortunately the state government has not mustered the political will to walk its talk. They should have made scape goats of those who disregard their circular on hijab but nothing has been done till now. Even outside the school premises, Christian teachers beat up our daughters for using the same hijab legalised by a court pronouncement and approved by the government.


WAEC REGISTRATION AND ‘CAPTURING’:
You are also not unaware of recent ugly developments in the ongoing registration exercise for the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Some school authorities ask female Muslim students to remove their hijabs before their pictures are taken. This is absolutely illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional. We have reports about such schools and we are certain that WAEC did not issue such instruction.

Some schools where this obnoxious practice is going on have been reported to us. Among them are Adeolu Senior Secondary School, Oluwa Memorial Senior Secondary School, Ajeromi Ifelodun Senior High School, Ojoku Senior Secondary School, Cardoso Juniopr High School. Lagos State Government Secondary School, Ijanikin, Ajangbadi Senior High School, Oto-Awori Senior Grammar School and Iba Housing Estate Senior Secondary School.

The case of Iba Housing Estate Senior Secondary School is didactic because MURIC’s Hijab Task Force (HITAF) personally led by the director caught the school red handed on Wednesday 16th January, 2019 as they were tormenting female Muslim students. The official in charge of the ‘capturing’ exercise told us point blank that the instruction was from WAEC. We challenged him to call WAEC office because WAEC has consistently denied involvement in making Muslim students remove their hijab. He made the phone call to his phony contact and later told us that ‘WAEC’ had agreed that the Muslim girls could use hijab. We have a video clip of this hypocritical and malicious encounter.

This incident made us realise that there is a conspiracy against Muslims of the South West. Those behind the plot are determined to frustrate Muslims in the region in their effort to emancipate the Muslim girl child from the shackles of neo-imperialism. It is religious profiling, systematic stigmatization and methodical apartheid. It is a crime against humanity.
That incident alone made us realise that we must change our strategy. It is time to mobilise Yoruba Muslims, particularly the nonchalant parents to get involved in the struggle to liberate the Muslim girl-child.
What is MURIC's plan?

We have seen that the solution lies in the hands of Muslims themselves. Allah said He would not change the condition of a people until they change their ways (Qur'an 13 :11). Yoruba Muslims have been lackadaisical. They care very little about what happens to their children particularly in the schools.

Yoruba Muslims have forgotten that freedom is never given on a platter of gold. They forgot how Prophet Muhammad (SAW) struggled before his followers could enjoy freedom. They have failed to learn from the travails of Nelson Mandela, Thomas Sankara, Steve Biko, Martin Luther King, Ken Saro Wiwa, Gani Fawehinmi, etc who had to fight for the freedom of their people before they enjoyed it.

MURIC seizes the opportunity of this press conference to appeal to Muslims in all states in Yorubaland to organize themselves for peaceful resistance. They must stand up for their rights. We do not mean any violent struggle but peaceful protests and occupations. Nobody will fight for us except ourselves. We must emancipate ourselves from neo-colonial slavery.

The courts have made favourable pronouncements, yet school authorities refuse to obey. The state governments have approved hijab, yet fanatical principals and teachers are still persecuting our daughters. Enough is enough. Government and the security agents will not do anything until we Muslims exhibit the political will to liberate ourselves. It is time for action. It is time for determined yet peaceful activism. We are ready for a long struggle and we are certain that victory is ours in the end because our cause is just. We have been pushed to the wall. Every mosque and every Islamic organization in Yorubaland must set up an 'Hijab Task Force' (HITAF) to be pronounced 'high taf'. The role of HITAF is to monitor all schools (public and private) and prepare for quick response wherever female Muslim students are being harassed. MURIC in conjunction with other willing Islamic organizations will set up a control room to be called 'Hijab Control Room' (HICOR)

There will be an hijab task force in every mosque, every local government and every state in Yorubaland. We will not rest until freedom is achieved. We are taking this step because the hijab crisis is expanding everyday. Our oppressors have become emboldened by our docility. Yoruba Muslims are too silent and things are likely to get worse if nothing is done to stop it.

Great Nigerian Muslims! We are involving you in order to take the struggle to the grassroots and to create greater awareness. We receive too many complaints everyday. We have therefore decided to decentralise.

Every Muslim must know his Allah-given fundamental human rights. Nobody can take these civil liberties from you. Speak out against oppression. Protect yourself, your wife, your mother and your daughter from persecution. Unless you do this, our oppressors will soon be removing hijab from their heads inside commercial vehicles, on the streets and in other public places. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

This is a quiet revolution. MURIC is determined to change this e fi won le mentality, a docile mindset of the present generation of Yoruba Muslims. We must become an active and enlightened set of people. Every Yoruba Muslim must be involved.

However, volunteers must remember that MURIC is a peace-loving human rights organization. Our motto is 'Dialogue Not Violence'. We can get our rights without using violence. Islam is a religion of peace. Remember that Barrister Amasa Firdaus got her rights without throwing a stone and without firing a single shot. Muslim students of Osun state won the hijab struggle without burning or looting. We stopped the hijab video dance by ‘Falz the Bad Guy’ without throwing a single stone. WAEC has changed its examination timetable for examination during Jumu’ah prayer when MURIC intervened peacefully.

All members of hijab task forces must therefore be peaceful and orderly. You are ambassadors of Islam. Instead of using force or becoming violent, HITAF should beat bandiri drums and sing waka songs. Muslim women also have the chance of joining HITAF. They will be useful in rendering Asalatu songs with their melodious voices.

HITAF is expected to go to schools in their neighbourhood where hijab is illegally disallowed. Without necessarily resorting to violence, parents in conjunction with their Muslim communities must find ways of deterring teachers who beat or punish their daughters for using hijab such that it is not repeated again. Such methods may include Islamic means but not excluding resort to legal mechanism by inviting security agencies where necessary.

Our young daughters look up to us for protection and guidance and as such we have a duty in loco parentis to rally behind them. We cannot afford to fail them. They are most likely to blame us for abandoning them in time of need if we fail to rise now before it is too late. Failure to support them now may result in the girls losing hope and abandoning their parents’ faith.

In view of the fact that school principals and teachers are disobeying government’s directives, flouting the constitution and illegally punishing Muslim students and depriving them of their Allah-given fundamental human rights, Yoruba Muslims are left with no choice than to protect their daughters.

Those who make laws difficult to obey make it impossible for people not to disobey. In the same manner, those who give illegal and Satanic instructions to Muslim children in schools make it impossible for the students not to disobey. This is why Nelson Mandela said, “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes a duty”.
The silence of civil society is worrisome but we are not surprised. Western-oriented human rights organisations have never shown any interest in the plight of Muslims. It is as if Muslims are not considered human beings by them. But they forget that this was the same parochial and myopic view held by the apartheid South African regime and it collapsed when the blacks united against it. So will the oppressors of Muslims be defeated if the Muslims can rise to the occasion.
This is why every Muslim must be a revolutionary. A Muslim who is docile in the face of persecution is living in a state of manzilatun bayn al-manzilatayn (i.e. though he is still a Muslim but he has failed to stand up for justice as enjoined in Qur’an 16:90 or to follow the example of Prophet Muhammad as the latter declared in his hadith: “Whoever sees evil should change it with his hands…” man raa minkunm munkaran...
We hereby declare 2019 the Year of Hijab Rights in Nigeria.


Professor Ishaq Akintola, Alhaji Yakeen Williams
DIRECTOR, GENERAL SECRETARY

http://muslimrightsmuric..com/2019/02/muslimrights-concern-muric-motto.html?m=1

junkiesneverdie:
Just imagine People dey talk, see chinch too dey talk

Buhari is making hard men humble. With this move corruption has now been placed on the altar
of expediency. For lovers of corruption this is hard to swallow. He is leaving nothing to chance. Lick that.

A human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has reacted to the expression of concern by the United States of America and Britain over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen. The group’s reaction was contained in a press statement issued on Saturday, 26th January, 2019.


According to Professor Ishaq Akintola who signed on behalf of the group, America and Britain should not look at the suspension in isolation but consider the gravity of the offence committed by the CJN.

“Western countries should not just jump to conclusions. They should not just make it look as if the CJN is being suspended to clear the way for some undemocratic practices. Neither the US nor Britain will allow a judge to accumulate wealth illegally because it is dangerous for the judicial system. Heavy cash lodgements in both foreign and local currencies were allegedly found in the former CJN’s accounts. No responsible government will ignore that.

“While we appreciate the interest of US and UK in evolving healthy democracies around the world, particularly in Nigeria, we will appreciate it more if these countries show equal concern for Nigeria’s war against corruption, particularly in the judiciary and in the repatriation of Nigeria’s looted funds in those two countries. Advanced democracies are not under any special obligation to listen only to the opposition and echo its propaganda. They also owe it a moral duty to hear the government’s side before making policy statements.


“To this end, we expect that both the US and UK will equally show interest in the allegation bordering on corruption made against the former CJN as they have expressed concern over his suspension. This ought to be done against the backdrop of the reputation of Nigeria which a former British prime minister described as ‘fantastically corrupt’ but which the present regime of President Muhammadu Buhari is trying hard to turn around.


“It is a known fact that no war against corruption can succeed if the judiciary is corrupt. It is the robust judicial system which both the US and UK enjoy today that allows a conducive atmosphere for democratic principles of rule of law, liberty and justice.


“We seek no less in our country, Nigeria. We find the alleged involvement of the CJN in financial misdemeanor sickening, repulsive and outrageous. A civil society group who could summon the courage demanded his sack. We no longer have any confidence in his leadership of this country’s judiciary.


“MURIC appeals to Western countries to allow the Nigerian government to clean its judiciary. It is the last hope of the common man. The filth in our judiciary will be better understood when we remember how James Ononefe Ibori of Delta State mesmerized the Nigerian judiciary for years without being punished. But he was caught in Britain and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment because the British judiciary will not take rubbish. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State also ran foul of the British judiciary before he jumped bail in 2005. This is one major reason the Nigerian government must be allowed to clean its judiciary.


“We must ask Britain if it can tolerate what is happening in Nigeria today on her own soil. For instance, the current British Lord Chief Justice, Sir John Thomas, earns £240,000 per annum. Will Theresa May, the Prime Minister, keep mum if he receives a report that his Lord Chief Justice has five bank accounts with more than $500,000 in each? Can his American counterpart, the US Chief Judge, John Glover Roberts Jnr, do the same and get away with it under Donald Trump’s watch? You show concern for Onnoghen’s suspension but not for the big sums of money he was practically caught with and which he admitted to. It hurts our sensibilities and you need to make amends.



“This is exactly what we are saying: leave our government alone if you cannot allow it to happen in your own countries. It has been happening here for long and now we have a democratically elected president. We have tons of confidence in Muhammadu Buhari. He sits on our treasury. He does not steal and he will not allow thieves to steal our common patrimony. We are satisfied with him as the guardian over our wealth. We do not care whether he is ‘lifeless’, ‘weak’, or ‘incompetent’. We never had it so good.


“Before we take a break, we appeal to the US and Britain to turn more attention to the repatriation of funds looted from Nigeria. The two countries will earn our respect more if this is done. We need the West’s cooperation in our war against corruption more than we need it in political demagoguery. Fairness demands that the US which expressed concern over the CJN’s suspension follows it up with a statement cautioning judges from getting enmeshed in graft and politicians from getting involved in money politics.



Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)




http://muslimrightsmuric..com/2019/01/muric-cautions-us-uk-over-cjn-onnoghen.html?m=1

Shina500:
UIIS is an international school, therefore, it should meet international standards. Parents that thinks is a must for their children to wear hijab, should take their children to Islamic schools like Ansarudeen, there, nobody will ask them not to put on hijab. We are just too religious in Nigeria. The developed countries like Germany, Canada and the likes are not as religious as we are in Nigeria and things are working for them.

What do you mean by "international school?" Wasn't it built with task payers' money? Mind you, it was not paid by the tithe or offerings from the church. Therefore it should respects our Allah-given and also fundamental human rights. The church cannot dictate to us which school is best suited for us to enrol our children.

HigherEd:
This muric is crazy. When the Christians decided to advance the cause of christianity through education they started planting schools aggresively rather than fighting useless fight round the country.
Today those churches decide the ground rules for everyone who school with them and there is no wahala.
If muric wants schools where muslim girls would be covered head to toe under blazing hot sun then muric should go and establish them instead of ranting all over the place.
If winners chapel can plan to build 5,000 primary schools in a decade span then what stops the entirety of muslims to build theirs and run it the way they like.

Lalasticlala

Nigeria is a multi religious society, with predominantly muslim population. Even in advanced countries, muslims girls are not denied their Allah-given right to wear hijab. Christians must and cannot dictate how we dress or look. We all know this Islamaphobia is orchastrated by CAN in order to morally corrupt our muslim ummah. We will resist this. Time to hide and bide is over. Like it or not, the new norms governing how schools in Nigeria treat muslims are being established now.

The principal of the University of Ibadan International School (UIIS), Mrs. Phebean Olowe recently banned the use of hijab by female Muslim students of the school. The ban provoked Muslim parents who protested at the gates of the school yesterday, Monday 12th November, 2018.

In its characteristic intervention, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) described the ban as an invitation to chaos and a threat to girl-child education. MURIC’s intervention was expressed in a press statement issued on Tuesday 13th November, 2018.

According to MURIC, “Mrs. Phebean Olowe is a failure in administration. She is out of touch with reality. She has failed to properly read the barometer. She is reeling out draconian and anachronistic decrees reminiscent of colonial days. This principal is retarding the progress of UIIS. She can only be an agent of destabilization to have behaved this way. This is the 21st century for crying out loud. Where does she think she is?


“We are surprised that at a time when the whole world is struggling to boost girl-child education and reduce the number of out-of-school children, a female school administrator of her status is issuing anti-girl-child education directives. It is such a shame. Britain and America are encouraging the wearing of hijab in their schools but here we find a school administrator constituting herself into a cog in the wheel of progress particularly in the area of girl-child education. Can this be attributed to lack of exposure? This principal is in dire need of a sabbatical leave outside Nigeria.


“She should have known that UIIS is an elitist academic environment where all the parents (Christians or Muslims) know their rights. Many of the Muslim parents are staff of the university. Why must she chew more than she can swallow? Why must she bring an alien, parochial and archaic agenda to an academic setting? This is obviously a failure in administration.

“A good administrator will consult parents before taking such a sensitive decision and there are a lot of opportunities for her to do that. Religion is a sensitive matter. She must have a hidden agenda otherwise she would not have made such an attempt in view of the proliferation of hijab stories in the news. No school administrator worth the salt will issue an anti-hijab instruction in view of recent events around the country unless such a principal is from Mars or Mercury”.

MURIC commended the parents who participated in the peaceful protest at the school gate. According to Professor Ishaq Akintola, the director of MURIC who signed the press statement, “Peaceful protest is an extention of dialogue where there are grievances to address. It is an Allah-given fundamental right of all citizens. Nobody has the right to take it from us.

“We hail the Muslim parents of UIIS for standing up in loco parentis. These parents have refused to abdicate their responsibilities. They have a duty to educate their children and to monitor their progress as prescribed in Qur’an 2:233. They have successfully done that. They also have a duty to protect their children from abuse, stigma and religious discrimination. They have proved that they are capable of doing that. We are proud of them.

“We are particularly happy with these parents for the peaceful manner in which they conducted their protest. They have proved beyond any iota of doubt that they are true ambassadors of Islam. The adherents of the religion of peace cannot afford to eschew the path of peace. We assure them of our full support. MURIC will keenly monitor the progress of this matter.

“We appeal to the management of the University of Ibadan (UI) to intervene in this matter. It should not be allowed to escalate. UI is a center of academic excellence. The authorities should not allow administrative shenanigans and educational charlatans to turn its International School into a center for religious apartheid. It is high time UIIS realized that Nigerian Muslims have come of age.

“We call on the school principal to face reality. Nigeria belongs to all of us. We should learn to coexist. Muslims will no longer accept a situation whereby everything is designed to suit Christians and Muslims are left to choose between accepting the Christian way of life or abandoning education. The Nigerian school uniform was designed by Christian colonial masters. It is therefore a manifestation of neo-imperialism cum totalitarian dictatorship to force Muslim children to wear Christian uniforms. It smacks of lack of religious tolerance. Mrs. Phebean Olowe should resign if she cannot tolerate the sight of female Muslim children in hijab because she is going to be seeing quite a lot of them these days.

“Finally, we appeal to Muslims in the city of Ibadan and Oyo State in particular as well as all over Nigeria to remain calm and law abiding. We should give the UI management the benefit of doubt and the opportunity to wade into the matter. However, all Muslim parents are advised to remain alert because eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Aluta continua because it is not yet Uhuru”.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).



http://muslimrightsmuric..com/2018/11/ui-hijab-ban-is-invitation-to-chaos.html?m=1

As MURIC has continue to reiterate, it is their Allah-given right which should not be denied.

Lagos state government has reportedly given Muslim female pupils in the state a go-ahead to use hijab in public schools

- The state government had earlier appealed a court judgment approving the use of hijab at the Supreme Court

- While the case is still pending at the apex court, the state government issued a circular asking that status quo be maintained, meaning the use of hijab be allowed

The Lagos state government has reportedly given a go-ahead to Muslim female pupils to use hijab in public schools, after series of protests and several legal battles between the government and numerous Muslim groups.

The development was announced in a circular by the state’s area unit of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), TheCable reports.

Recall that a Lagos high court had in October 2014, ruled against the use of hijabs in schools, a judgement that was upturned by an appeal court in July 2016.


In a unanimous judgment, the appeal court stated that the ban was discriminatory against Muslim pupils in Lagos state.

Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s judgment, the state government took the case to the Supreme Court and subsequently placed a ban on the use of hijab in August 2018.

However, in a new circular, the state government asked that status quo be maintained in order to avoid contempt of court.

It said the hijab must be “short, smart, neat and in the same colour of the uniform (skirt)."

“Since the case of the use of Hijab in Lagos state is still pending in the Supreme Court of Nigeria, status quo be maintained, to avoid contempt of the court, that is students be allowed to wear Hijabs on school uniforms but same must be short, smart, neat and in the same colour of the uniform (skirt),” the circular read.

“Furthermore, schools management are advised to downplay comments and disciplinary actions on the use of smart Hijabs until the final determination of the case by Supreme Court.

“No student should be discriminated against in any form on the basis of religion.

“All principals and teachers must be sensitized to comply accordingly. You are enjoined to adhere strictly to these recommendations.”

Reacting to the development, MSSN, in a statement by Saheed Ashafa, its amir in Lagos, said the state government has towed the path of honour.

Ashafa said the circular would help to stop the “harassment and victimisation of female Muslim students for wearing hijab.”

“We are pleased with this development because the embarrassing way and manner that our members are being victimised, harassed, punished and denied entrance into their classrooms for wearing hijab would stop,” the statement read.

“We have constantly told the state government that while a case on the hijab is awaiting final verdict at the Supreme Court, no teacher has the right to punish female pupils for wearing hijab. The Appeal Court in the case clearly states that wearing hijab by students, whether within or outside the school premises was a fundamental Human Right entrenched in the constitution.

“It is important to notify you that we will not allow further lawlessness and flagrant disregard for rule of law to stay after this circular. The circular would also help to stop the abuse of rights which could have degenerated into crisis or violence that may lead to the disruption of activities in schools in our dear state.

“We commend this intervention aimed at calling teachers, principals and tutor general to order. This circular approving wearing of hijab by students on their school uniform within and outside school premises, will ensure peace and order in our schools and stability in the state’s education system.

“We hereby call on female Muslim students to enjoy their rights without fear of molestation. While exhibiting their rights, they should remain law abiding and be good ambassadors of the religion of peace.”


https://www.legit.ng/1203764-finally-lagos-reportedly-approves-hijab-public-schools.html