26th
May, 2021
PRESS RELEASE:
HIJAB: OAU MUST INVESTIGATE
HARASSMENT OF FEMALE MUSLIM STUDENT - MURIC
An Islamic human
rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the
authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, to investigate the
circumstances that led a Muslim parent to withdraw his daughter from the school
after a teacher allegedly harassed the girl.
MURIC’s request
was made by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Wednesday, 26th
May, 2021.
MURIC said, “One
of the teachers of the Obafemi Awolowo International School (OAUIS), Mrs.
Adeyemo, has allegedly harassed a female Muslim student of the school. The
intimidation has made the girl’s parents to withdraw her from the school.
“The girl who was in the habit of using her hijab from home and removing
it at the school’s gate (since hijab is not allowed by the school’s
authorities) was harassed by Mrs. Adeyemo. Although the girl had removed her
hijab as usual at the school’s gate, the teacher still confronted her after she
entered the school claiming that she had seen the girl in hijab within the
university premises. She gave the girl a totally contemptuous washdown that the
latter wept profusely.
“The parents
reportedly came to the school in protest. They argued that their daughter had
not violated any of the school’s rules because the girl had removed her hijab
before entering the school’s premises. The school authority allegedly argued
that it was against the school’s policy for any female student to wear hijab on
her uniform anywhere at all and that OAU campus was part and parcel of the
school’s premises. Consequently, the girl’s father withdrew his daughter out of
frustration.
“MURIC is
greatly amused by this ugly development. As far as the school authorities are
concerned, they see this as a win-win situation. On the contrary, it is a dent
on the school’s image. We find it interesting that an international school
within the premises of an ivory tower will encourage child abuse of such high
level. It is quite nauseating.
“Or do we need a lawyer from outside OAU to explain the implications of
what the authorities of OAUIS has done to a little girl? OAUIS has locked out a
girl child from its premises. A girl child has been denied access to education
on account of a small head scarf at a time the whole world is clamouring for
education for the same girl child. It is child abuse of high level magnitude.
“Worse still,
the Psychology Department of the Faculty of Education in OAU needs to work on
the mentality of some of the teachers in its international school before
further damage is done. Are they aware of the damage done by Mrs. Adeyemo to
the psyche of the female Muslim student who was harassed by her and on account
of which the girl lost her studentship?
“Records show that a number of students treated with disdain by their
teachers have been known to go into a state of despondency. Many of them become
melancholy, incommunicado, drooling all day long. They get detached from all
types of academic work. Depression sets in. They also have high propensity for
suicide if no urgent steps are taken to reset their pshyche and many are known
to have committed suicide on account of tongue-lashing by insensitive teachers.
“This is exactly
where we are going. Mrs. Adeyemo derided the poor female Muslim student because
of hijab until the girl lost her self-confidence. She burst into tears, wishing
she were never born. Mrs. Adeyemo’s behaviour on that day was contrary to the
dictates of the noble profession of teaching to which she belongs. It was
unethical, repugnant and despicable. She needs to be counselled before she can
do further damage.
“We must place
on record the fact that the Muslim students in
OAUIS are allowed to observe their Salat (prayer) in the school and Islamic
Religious Knowledge is also taught there. Credit for this goes to both the OAU
Muslim community and the school authorities. But the refusal to allow female
Muslim students to don hijab dwarfs all these.
“Our position is based on the
fact that fundamental human rights have always been whole, not partial. Whoever
grants some civil liberties only to withhold some has granted no rights at all.
It is like giving somebody gold with one hand and using the other to take it back.
It is either you recognize all civil rights or you deny all. There is no middle
way in Allah-given fundamental human rights. They are not even yours to give in
the first place. They are from Allah. That is why we call them Allah-given
rights.
“The argument
that the use of hijab violates the school’s rules does not hold any water. The
Nigerian Constitution grants religious freedom, including freedom to use hijab.
It is important to note that the Constitution is the font et origo and
any rule, regulation or law of any local or state government, agency or
institution that contravenes any clause therein remains null, void and ultra
vires. To that extent, therefore, no school within the country by whatever
nomenclature it is called has the power to declare illegal the hijab which the
Nigerian Constitution authoritatively makes legitimate.
“This is another
example of the persecution of Muslim children in the hands of overzealous and
intolerant Christian civil servants and teachers in the South West. It is
interesting that Mrs. Adeyemo bears a Yoruba name. The female Muslim student is
also a Yoruba girl. Will Yoruba Muslims not face worse persecution in the hands
of Christians if the Yorubas eventually succeed in their plan to secede? Will
Muslims be safe at that time when they are not safe even now? Will the Muslims
of Yorubaland enjoy any religious freedom if the proposed Oduduwa Republic
becomes a reality?
“The interesting
thing is that Muslims only suffer like this in the southern part of Nigeria.
They enjoy their Allah-given fundamental human rights in the whole North. Yet
Nigeria has just one constitution, not two, not three. Why then should hijab be
legitimate in Northern schools but ‘illegitimate’ in Yorubaland?”
Professor Ishaq
Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC)
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