MSSN tasks NASS on discrimination against hijab

Irked by the continued discrimination against Muslim women on hijjab, the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), has tasked the National Assembly (NASS) on the need to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially as regards the compliance with Islamic dress code. National Ameer (President) of the Society, Muhammad Jameel Muhammad, who made this challenge during a courtesy visit to the House of Representatives, said the continued denial and discrimination against the use of Hijab is ‘intolerable’.

Muhammad told the Deputy Speaker Hon Lasun Sulaiman who received them on behalf of Speaker Yakubu Dogara , to sponsor a bill to enact a specific legislation that will criminalise the denial of the use of hijab in Nigeria. A statement by the National Public Relation Officer, Muhammad Grema Bukar quoted Muhammad as saying that since hijab has never hindered the users from excelling in all fields, the Islamic dress code should not be denied anymore by any individual, organisation or even government.

“Moreover, as if the plotters against the hijab are not contented with their unconstitutional act, some of them have gone ahead to advocate a legislation to totally ban the use of hijab in Nigeria on the pretext that it is used by terrorist as a cover to launch attacks on innocent Nigerians. “Our query lies on the fact that, in civilised societies, few cases of abuse of something have never been used as an excuse to abolish such an important thing. We therefore call on you to sponsor a bill to enact a specific legislation that will criminalise the denial of the use of Hijab in this country,” he said.

Muhammad however expressed dissatisfaction over the alleged action of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), especially in the recent time. He said: “While we now have some sigh of relief for the timely intervention of the Federal Government on the Board’s imposition of course and institution on the candidates against their choices, we want the relevant authorities particularly the National Assembly to find whether the statutory objectives of JAMB is to generate revenue like FIRS, or to render a necessary social service-access to higher education.

This is necessary given the apparent extortion of candidates in the form of sales of scratch to determine one’s posting for post UTME. We call for immediate refund of such monies.” The National President expressed happiness that the leadership emergence issues of the House of Representatives have been amicably resolved in that a way that there is no winner no vanquished.

Meanwhile, he lamented the relegation of religious subjects in various academic institutions, saying that “at a time when we seriously need God consciousness, decency, sacrifice among other virtues as antidotes to corruption, immorality and all social vices, it is sad that religion as a subject is relegated to an elective status in our secondary schools. “It is equally sad that general course of core status like Moral Philosophy have been made insignificant at a time when our higher institutions of learning are afflicted with cultism, nudity, examination malpractice, intolerance among other indicators of total moral bankruptcy.

We call for a rethink and a quick review of this unpopular, inimical policy.” Among the team that visited the leadership of the National Assembly include Auwal Yunus (National Secretary General), Bukar, Anas Hamisu Lawal. (National financial Secretary), Surajuddeen Abdulaziz (National Ex-Officio I) and Abdulhakeem Kolawole (National Islamic Affairs Officer B’Zone), among others.