6th October, 2022
PRESS
RELEASE:
MURIC TO NASS : STOP
INDECENT DRESSING NOW
An Islamic human rights society, the Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC), has appealed to the National Assemly (NASS) to move against indecent
dressing in Nigeria. The organization wants legislators to enact laws that will
criminalise indecent dressing.
This was contained in a statement released to newsmen on
Thursday 6th October, 2022 by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq
Akintola.
The statement reads :
“In a video which went viral recently, an okada passenger was
seen giving one stroke of the cane each to two indecently dressed women on the
street. There was nothing the women who received the punishment could have done
because the okada was in motion. In fact, one of the two women rolled on the
floor, writhing in pain while her traducer yelled at her, ‘Go and dress well! In
fact, one of the two women rolled on the floor, writhing in pain . while
her traducer yelled at her, ‘Go and dress well! Idiot, ashewo. Uwaaka!’ .
“While we do not endorse the action of the okada passenger as it
is capable of enthroning anarchy, we affirm clearly, unambiguously and
unequivocally that this singular action is a wakeup call. It has opened our
eyes to the fact that appearing half nude in public has electrifying effect on
the opposite sex and that something must be done about it.
“Different methods have been adopted in different Nigerian
environments to discourage indecent dressing. For example, the hisbah (Shariah
police) is always there in places like Kano and Sokoto to check indecent
dressing. In some Igbo communities, market women will surround any woman who dares
to come out half naked to the market. There will be shouts of ‘Ashawo come
market!’ and the women will open sachets of pure water to spray on her body.
“The most recent and most outstanding example of the rejection
of indecent dressing in Iboland is the ban imposed on the use of mini-skirts by
school girls in Anambra State by Governor Charles Soludo on Monday, 19th
September, 2022 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/anambra-bans-use-of-miniskirts-as-school-uniform-2/).
“Several Nigerian tertiary
institutions have also rolled out dressing codes in a bid to outlaw indecent
dressing. The Buhari/Idiagbon regime (1983 – 85) had also introduced War
Against Indiscipline with indecent dressing among women as a cardinal area of
attention. The move succeeded in injecting a strong dose of discipline at the
time but enemies of morality truncated the administration and the succeeding
regime of Babangida turned back the hands of the clock.
“MURIC rejects the
one-sided view on sexual harassment. Most women who dress half nude in public
boast of ‘dressing to kill’. But who are the victims of this ‘attempted
manslaughter’? It is men. We submit that indecent dressing by women tantamounts
to sexual harassment on the part of the descendants of Hawa (Eve).
“Therefore, there should be no preferential treatment for women on the
issue of sexual harassment. Women are as guilty as men if not more. Rape is on
the increase in society today because moral bankruptcy is at its peak. Women
are now anxious to expose provocative parts of their anatomy in public. That is
seduction. We are of the opinion that there should be consequences for women
who seductively expose sensitive parts of their bodies and the law of the land
should be amended to take care of this.
“Already, Section 26 of the
Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015) provides for indecent exposure
‘with intent to cause distress’ but it is hardly ever applied. This is the time
for our lawmakers to take a second look at that aspect of the law with a view to strengthening
it and effectively criminalising indecent dressing. Both the executive and the judiciary
should also support the legislature for enforcement because any law without
political will is a toothless bulldog.
“We call on both the church and mosque in the
country to stand up to be counted in the fight against indecent dressing. Afterall
both the Bible and the Qur’an forbid indecent dressing. Our call is all-encompassing.
We condemn indecent dressing among women as well as among men. It is common
these days to find men wearing earings, weaving their hair like women, sagging
and wearing tattered jeans.
“I Corinthians 11:4-13 requests women to be
properly dressed. Deuteronomy 22:5 goes on to say, ‘A woman shall not wear
anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for
all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.’ Yet we find our women
wearing tight-fitting trousers with blouses or shirts that stop above the navel.
“Qur’an 7:26 – 27 equally reminds mankind with
the words, ‘O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal
your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness is the
best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember (verse
26).
“It continues in verse 27, ‘Oh Children of
Adam! Let not Satan deceive you in the manner he deceived your parents out of
Paradise, pulling off from them their clothing to reveal to them their
shame. He (Shaytan, i.e. Satan) and his agents watch you from a place where you
cannot see them. We made Shaytan a friend for those who have no faith.’
“It is obvious, therefore, that women who go
out half naked in public and men who wear earings, weave their hair
like women, sag their trousers and wear tattered jeans are deceived by Shaytan.
A word is enough for the wise.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
