VICTIMISATION OF MUSLIM NURSES: MURIC WRITES HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT

VICTIMISATION OF MUSLIM NURSES: MURIC WRITES HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT

The Medical Director,

National Orthopaedic Hospital,

Igbobi, Lagos.                                     14^th April, 2014

Dear Sir,

VICTIMISATION OF HIJAB-WEARING MUSLIM NURSES

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is an Islamic human rights organization. MURIC is a pacific organization, peace-loving, law-abiding and dialogue-prone. We detest violence and this is why our motto is: ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’.

As a major mechanism in our operations, we open dialogue with institutions, employers and agencies in order to intervene on behalf of aggrieved Muslims.

We believe that this is better than resorting to spontaneous violence or open-air demonstration. Our adoption of dialogue has often doused tension in Nigeria and reduced the incidence of violence.

Sir, you will agree with us that Nigeria has witnessed too many religious conflicts and that what this country needs most today is peace. Therefore any action in the workplace, school or institution which is capable of generating religious crisis or tension of any sort should be avoided.

We were therefore pleasantly surprised on learning of the victimization of two hijab-wearing nurses who are staff in your hospital. Mrs. Fasilat Lawal and Miss S. O. Sanusi were issued querries by the Director of Administartion on account of their wearing hijab.

MURIC appeals to you to quickly intervene in the interest of peace and industrial harmony before the matter degenerates into a full-blown religious crisis. Hijab is a religious duty for Muslim women and failure to use it is a sin against Allah. Any employer who stigmatizes or victimizes a Muslim woman on account of her wearing hijab has also violated her Allah-given and fundamental human right.

Victimization of a Muslim woman for using hijab constitutes a breach of Section 38 (i) & (ii) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. The African Union Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights proclaims in Article 4, Clause 1 & 2 that “Human beings are inviolable. Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person.” Nigeria is a signatory to this charter.

The provisions of Article 18 of the United Nations Charter and Articles 9 and 14 of the European Treaty of Human Rights and Articles 18 and 19 of the Treaty of Civil and Political Rights also criminalise religious profiling.

It is therefore a crime to discriminate against a worker on the basis of religion. It is needless to say at this juncture that the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, is a federal health facility where both Christians and Muslims have the right to work.

Medical Director Sir, kindly satisfy all righteousness on these two cases. We want Christian officials to stop using their religion to victimize Muslims. It is an indirect way of seeking forceful conversion of Muslims to Christianity.

Religious crisis will become history if both the Christians and the Muslims in this country allow peace to reign. This can only be possible if Christians leave the Muslims alone and vice versa. Muslims should be allowed to be Muslims while Christians should be allowed to practice their faith without let or hindrance.

Please note that our organization does not issue threats, neither do we engage in violence. But we are determined to explore all available and legitimate channels of dialogue to protect Allah-given and fundamental rights of Nigerian Muslims.

We are prepared to discuss this issue if you invite us to dialogue. We can be reached on telephone numbers 08182119714 and 08098016678. Our email is muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk. However, this will not be necessary if the Muslim nurses can be left alone to continue using their hijab.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely Yours,

Professor Ishaq Akintola                                                            Alhaji Shehu Tijani

          DIRECTOR                                                                                 SECRETARY

cc

1.  The Chairman, National Orthopaedic Hospital Management Board

2.   The  Ameerah, Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN),

           Lagos State Chapter

3.  The Ameerah, Criterion,

Lagos State Chapter

4.  The Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress, Lagos State Chapter.