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The Kwara State Government has said the use of hijab in public schools is not mandatory but Muslim schoolgirls who are willing can put on the headgear.
The state has been embroiled in controversy over the use of hijab in public schools in the past few weeks, especially in those that are referred to as grant-aided missionary schools.
On February 19, the state government ordered the closure of 10 schools over a dispute on the use of hijab by Muslim female students.
The controversy degenerated into violence on Wednesday in Ilorin, where Christians and Muslims engaged in a confrontation, following the decision of the state government to reopen the 10 schools earlier closed.
However, the state government, in a statement, signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mamman Jibril, clarified its position on the use of hijab in public schools.
According to the state government, the approval on the use of hijab by Muslim female students in public schools was in respect to the fundamental human rights of the schoolgirls.
“It is important to clarify that the government is not imposing the hijab. It is not mandatory for all our schoolgirls to wear hijab.
“Rather, the state government approves hijab for any Muslim schoolgirl who wishes to use it. The government is only respecting the fundamental human right of those schoolgirls. Nothing more.
“This has been communicated to all school heads via a circular of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development,” it said.
The state government said stopping Muslim schoolgirls from wearing hijab in public schools is a “violent contravention of provisions of Section 38 of the constitution.”
“Secondly, the law today is that any willing Muslim schoolgirl cannot be stopped from wearing hijab in public schools. Anything to the contrary will be in violent contravention of provisions of Section 38 of the Constitution.
“The Court of Appeal has affirmed this position in at least three different declaratory judgements. The Government of Kwara State, a product of democracy and rule of law, cannot go contrary to the law.
“Besides, the hijab question has come under the concept of pluralism and multiculturalism in the global community, including in the western world. States like Ekiti, Osun, Oyo and Lagos have gone through this debate and they all resolved in favour of pluralism,” the government added.
Hold AbdulRasaq responsible for damage to any church, person- CAN
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said Kwara State Government should be held responsible for the hijab crisis rocking the state.
In a statement, Joseph Daramola, CAN General Secretary, said the swift reopening of the schools is responsible for the resurgence of the religious crisis.
He said the state government failed to address the underlining issues before taking the decision, and asked the Federal Government to intervene in the matter.
The statement read in part: “We learnt that the State Government has ordered the reopening of the closed schools without resolving the crisis.
“Consequently, churches and mission schools are being vandalised with impunity by the hoodlums banking on the state government’s support in the pretext of enforcing the policy.
”Some innocent Christians are being violently abused and attacked under the watch of the Governor who is playing ostrich. Because it was his pronouncement on the issue of hijab wearing in violation of the court directive on the matter to maintain status quo until the matter is finally resolved by the court that led to this trouble.
“If any damage is done to any church or anyone is injured on this matter, the Governor of Kwara State will be held responsible. It is disheartening and unfortunate that a government that was installed democratically will become insensitive to the plight and the yearning of the people.
”As if the governor was voted into the office primarily to protect his own religion. This is unfair, ungodly and reprehensible.
”There are public schools and schools that belong to some Islamic organisations where those who wanted to be wearing hijab can be attending without causing the ongoing needless crisis rocking the state.”