LAGOS HIJAB JUDGEMENT: ALLOW THE LAW TO TAKE ITS DUE COURSE

8^th February, 2017

PRESS RELEASE:

LAGOS HIJAB JUDGEMENT:

ALLOW THE LAW TO TAKE ITS DUE COURSE

The Lagos Appeal Court yesterday struck out the stay of execution order sought by the Lagos State Government on the right of female Muslim students to use hijab with their school uniforms.     

Asiyat Abdul Kareem (through her father), Moriam Oyeniyi and the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria had won appeal of case CA/L/135/15 against the Lagos State Government on 21^st July, 2016 when all the five judges of the Lagos Appeal Court approved the use of hijab in Lagos public schools. The state government immediately approached the Supreme Court to appeal the case and also sought a stay of the execution at the Appeal Court.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) hails the rejection of the stay of execution sought by the Lagos Government. It is bold, convincing and reassuring. It cements our faith in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

MURIC appeals to the state government to allow sleeping dogs to lie. There is a limit even for official ego. There must come a time when government scoops to allow the general will to prevail. But the law is on the side of the general will this time. A government installed via democratic process cannot afford to disrespect a court judgement. This latest decision is legally binding and Lagos has no choice. Afterall, it is the center of excellence.

The honourable path is for the center of excellence to walk its talk. The state government must instruct the Ministry of Education to tell school principals to allow female Muslim children to use hijab in public schools.

Without being immodest, we assure all and sundry that we know our rights. Any school authority who disallows female Muslim students or pupils from using hijab risks being jailed for contempt of court. We have been patient enough. Our children have listened to us. They eschewed violence. They obeyed the rules of decorum. Now the die is cast.

Muslims have been accused severally of resorting to spontaneous violence even though they have always been provoked. But the case is different this time around. Lagos Muslims went to court instead of going violent and the courts have decided. Lagos government must allow the law to take its due course.   

Finally, Nigerians and indeed the rest of the world must see this as a test case for democracy and the rule of law in Lagos State. We want to know how democratic are our democrats? To be or not to be? That is the question. Whether Lagos will respect the courts and allow the students to use hijab as ordered by the court or whether the grandstanding, the stigmatization, the oppression and persecution will continue is left to be seen. The world is watching.

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