Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Hundreds of youths including women at the weekend protested in some parts of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital over the denial of a law school graduate, Firdaos Amasa, from being called to Bar by the Council of Legal Education on account of her wearing of Hijab to the ceremony.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Save Our Soul from being Oppressed,’ ‘Justice is Demanded for Firdaos’, ‘Mandela Challenged the Status Quo, Firdaos is Doing the Same’, ‘Say No to Religious Persecution,’ ‘Enough of this Chronic Humiliation’, the demonstrators under the banner of ‘Justice for Firdaos’, took off from Challenge to Ahmadu Bello Way, Umaru Audi Road, Tanke and terminated near Tanke Oke-Odo.
Although the authorities of the Nigerian Law School have not officially commented since the issue took place about two weeks ago, there have been barrage of criticisms across the globe over the convention of the institution, which bars Muslim female graduates from appearing in hijab (veil) at the venue of the Call to the Bar.
Eminent Nigerians including varsity scholars believed it was the fundamental human rights of Firdaos Amasa, guaranteed by some sections of the 1999 Constitution as amended to wear hijab.
However, the convener of the protest, Mr. Nurudeen Ibrahim, in a chat with journalists in Ilorin during the protest, described the denial of the female law graduate from being called to the Nigerian Bar as an injustice.
Ibrahim noted that the plight of Firdaos has become a global issue, pointing out that what the Council of Legal Education did, was a flagrant infringement on her fundamental human right.
He stated that the gathering of the demonstrators was designed to draw public attention and send a signal to the authorities that the time has come for Nigerians regardless of religious differences to co-exist peacefully.
“Our gathering has to do with an injustice meted against one of our sisters, who was denied her fundamental human right, because of the fact that she refused to pull off her hijab during the call to the Bar ceremony held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja.
“As a result of this, it has become a global issue. Because what happened at the ICC was a flagrant infringement on the fundamental human right of that sister of ours.
“What we are doing is just to sensitise the public and to let those in authority know that it is high time we co-exist, we allow ourselves to be together in peace and we should allow our sisters to put on their hijabs irrespective of their educational pursuits,†Ibrahim said.
Also speaking, a former Dean, Postgraduate School, University of Ilorin, Professor Badmas ‘Lanre Yusuf, said it was disheartening that those who are regarded as custodians of the law have turned violators.
He said the rights of Firdaos were enshrined in the nation’s law book and therefore should not be denied by any convention.
Yusuf, a Professor of Islamic Studies, noted that the denial of the female law graduate to be called to the bar because of her wearing of hijab was a deliberate expression of hatred against Islam and should not go unchallenged.
“It is very unfortunate that those who are supposed to be custodians of the law, are the ones violating the law. In the Nigerian Constitution, there is affirmation for fundamental human and religious rights and there is no any law that would be superior or that would supercede the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“So, what they called the convention in the Nigerian Law School, as may be part of their code of ethics and the rest of it. There is no reason if there is no any religious bias that such a convention would supercede the law.
“I just want to look at it as a deliberate expression of hatred against Islam and the Muslims by those who supposed to know. But they know what they are doing, because all over the globe, the agenda is to antagonise anything that is Islamic.
“If you look at the picture of Firdaos (Amasa), you would see that the way she put on her hijab was modest enough and was reasonable enough that it would take a discerning eye to recognise that she put on hijab; it was not flamboyant, and that is why we are surprised.â€
