ALL NIGERIAN MUSLIMS MUST READ THIS AND FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE VICTIMIZATION OF MUSLIMS IN LAGOS STATE- ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! OCTOBER 17: JOIN US AS COURT DELIVERS JUDGEMENT ON BAN OF HIJAB IN LAGOS STATE Except to the treacherous, mischievous, hate-filled and die-hard antagonists, Islam is acclaimed by all to be a peaceful, accommodating and tolerant religion. It is on these lofty virtues of Islaam that Muslims based their interactions with other human beings irrespective of race, tribe, ethnicity and religion. However, this disposition of Muslims is often taken for granted by individuals and governments at times to the extent that their fundamental human rights, which find legal backing in the constitution, are usually not respected or are denied with brazen impunity. THIS IS THE SITUATION IN LAGOS STATE PRESENTLY! The current persecution of female Muslim students in Lagos public schools over the use of Hijab is a case in point. But while this continued unabated, the government of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, (a supposed Muslim) you will recall, inflicted unprecedented pains on Muslims in the state when he ordered the demolition of Mosques in the state secretariat in Alausa in 2011 over laughable ‘intelligence’ report of an impending bomb attack by Boko Haram. Our dear Governor order to destroy the mosques was executed with speedy efficiency that is alien to our culture, even beyond Alausa! It is also during this current regime that Muslims have been pushed to the background in education administration in all the six education districts in the state. Out of the six districts (headed by Tutors-General)in Lagos state, none is headed by a Muslim! Are there no qualified Muslims in those districts? For the sake of fairness and justice, giving three slots to each of the two dominant religions in the state would have been appropriate. It is interesting and highly surprising that the same government that is refusing to recognize and grant Muslims their divinely-ordained and constitutionally guaranteed rights to use hijab has not only passed a law on cremation but also put enabling atmosphere in place for foreigners to cremate their dead ones! The government claimed that since Lagos is a mega city where many nationals from across the globe are domiciled, it is fair to give them freedom to practice the dictates of their cultures without having to travel back home every time. If foreigners have the freedom to practice, without hindrance, their cultures, in Lagos, why are Muslims in the same Mega City being denied their right to use the hijab in schools? The cremation law is alien to both our cultures and religions in Nigeria, yet under the guise of freedom the state government allowed it! The outgoing governor of Ekiti state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who is also in the same party with Mr Fashola, recognised this right of Muslims to wear the hijab. A circular to that effect was issued earlier in the year. It is worrisome enough that females in some public schools wear uniform that are sleeveless or way above the knee cap as a matter of decorum in such school. If these are acceptable, then hijab should be accommodated as well. Why should a government hold Muslims to ransom? We cannot afford to see our sisters, dress naked. Silence of Muslims must not be taken as a weakness; it is just our own way of respecting leadership as taught by our religion. But when silence no longer becomes golden, then we must seek redress. This was the thought of Muslim youths under the aegis of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit when we instituted a case against the state government’s policy to ban the use of Hijab in Lagos schools. While the Lagos State Government is giving room for the victimisation, harassment, molestation, and dehumanisation of our Muslim girls in state schools, WE SAY NO; THE OPPRESSION MUST END. It saddens our heart that female Muslims are flogged for wearing Hijab and following the dictate of morality, despite the fact that freedom of religion is firmly entrenched in international laws and the constitutions of countries around the world, including our dear country Nigeria. After several attempts to ensure the use of Hijab failed, members of MSSN, LSAU proceeded to court to seek redress. At the end, judgment beckons!! Justice will give verdict on whether or not the use of Hijab (Muslim head-scarf) should be allowed by female Muslim students on FRIDAY OCTOBER 17, 2014 AT THE IKEJA HIGH COURT, LAGOS. WILL YOU LET MUSLIM SISTERS SUFFER ALONE? HERE ARE SOME OF THEIR AGONIES 1. In 2004, four students of Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET) were suspended through a circular issued by Dr. Eko John on 20th April, 2004. Their offence was that they wore Hijab on their school uniform. It took intervention of the Lagos High Court to grant freedom to these students from discrimination. 2. The wave of discriminationsand maltreatments reared its ugly head in different schools from different Districts. Worthy of mention is that of Comprehensive High School, Alapere, Ketu and Itire Community Senior Secondary School, Mushin. The principal of the former ordered a ban on the use of Hijab in and out of the school and stopped the students from observing Dhuhr (Noon) and Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers in the school premises and after closing. The latter, on her way to school, in a public bus, scolded and ordered her student to put off the Hijab. 3. As if those were not enough, on February 5, 2013, Aisha, a Junior Secondary School II student of Kadara Junior High School, Ebute Metta committed a ‘big crime’! And to show the gravity of the crime, the eleven-year-old Aisha was given forty three (43) strokes of cane on the assembly ground by the principal, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka. What was Aisha’s offence? She did not to remove her Hijab after coming out of an Islamic Religious Knowledge class, where it is ordinarily permitted to adorn Hijab. 4. Similarly, on February 20, 2013, Bareerah Tajudeen of Mafoloku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi had her hijab removed and trampled upon by her principal, Mrs. Elizabeth Omidele, outside the school premises. Also, Lagos Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye lambasted Bareerah Tajudeen and her mother for wearing Hijab to a meeting held with her and other stakeholders on March 7, 2013. FOR MORE INFO VISIT: mssnlagos.net LAGOS HIJAB BAN: THE JOURNEY SO FAR; VERDICT ON OCTOBER 17 IN IKEJA HIGH COURT, LAGOS January 26, 2012: MEETING Commissioner for Education; Education District Heads; Representatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, President of Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS); Staff of the Ministry of Education, Representatives of secondary school students and a team from the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit with their Legal Adviser. OUTCOME: FAILED- ‘Students cannot wear Hijab in or out of the school once they are in school uniform.’ 16th February, 2012 MEETING Added to the Government team were: Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole and the State Solicitor-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro. Included in our MSSN,LSAU team is a team from Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) INCONCLUSIVE: ‘No wearing of Hijab on school uniforms and Hijab must only be worn on mufti if they must pray during and after school hours.’ OUTCOME: DECEIT- Minutes of meeting contained the same position of government in the earlier meeting. February 5, 2013/ February 20, 2013 VICTIMIZATION CONTINUES Kadara Junior High School, Ebute Metta: Aisha Alabi, a JSS II student and her principal, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka Mafoloku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi: Bareerah Tajudeen and her principal, Mrs. Elizabeth Omidele While Aisha got 43 strokes on the assembly for not removing her Hijab after an Islamic Religion Knowledge class; Bareerah’s Hijab was removed and trampled upon by her principal outside the school premises! 28th February, 2013 PEACEFUL PROTEST/MEETING Muslim Students, NGOs, Islamic Organisations; Commissioners for Education; Home affairs and Culture; Information and Strategy; and three other principal officials of Ministry of Education Muslim Students, NGOs, Islamic Organisations; Commissioners for Education; Home affairs and Culture; Information and Strategy; and three other principal officials of Ministry of Education OUTCOME: PLEADED/PROMISE- Issue to be discussed at the meeting of State Executive Council on Monday March 4, 2013 and outcome to be made known on March 7, 2013 11th March, 2013 MEETING Lagos House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee Members: Hons. Abdurrazak Balogun; Abdwahab Alawiye-King; Adebimpe Akinsola and Muibat Rufai; all concerned in Aisha and Bareerah’s victimisation cases including representatives of MSSN, LASU OUTCOME: PLEADED/PROMISE- Report of the committee laid before the House with nothing yet to be heard from the House. The House has REFUSED to act or deliberate on the report! 27th May, 2013 - Till Date COURT INTERVENTION Justice J.O.K Oyewole; Justice Grace Onyeabo; counsel to the State Government, S.A Ajanaku; counsel to the Muslim Students, Adetola Kassim (SAN) UNDECIDED: OUT OF COURT SETTLEMENT FAILED. JUDGEMENT TO BE DELIVERED ON OCTOBER 17 IN IKEJA HIGH COURT, LAGOS. OUTCOME: Allahs Mercy IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERY MUSLIM TO FIGHT THE OPPRESSOR (Q49 V9-10); JOIN US AT THE COURT SITTING ON OCTOBER….WE WILL APPRECIATE YOUR COMING FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT MUSLIM STUDENTS SOCIETY OF NIGERIA, LAGOS STATE AREA UNIT 161 HERBERT MACAULAY STREET, ADEKUNLE YABA. LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA. Tel: +2348173291878,+2347034032150,+2347034032150 Email: [email protected]. Web Site: mssnlagos.net > Nigeria Islamic News Nigeria Islamic News Join this page for Islamic News and invite your friends too- Nigeria Islamic News Nigeria Islamic News Nigeria Islamic News Nigeria Islamic News PLEASE DONT 4GET TO SHARE YOUR FRIENDS. HELP TO MAKE IT REACH EVERYWHERE IN NIGERIA
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:39:02 +0000
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