Hammed Shittu in Ilorin.
The Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria, (FOMWAN) has lauded the Supreme Court judgement which upheld the use of hijab by Muslim female students in schools.
The association however described it, “as giant stride in support of constitutional rights of freedom of worship as enshrined in the Nigeria constitution and also followed the injunction on Islamic modesty for female Muslims as contained in the Holy Qur’an:24vs 30-31.”
In a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday, signed by the National Amirah of the association, Hajia Rafiah Idowu Sanni and association’s chairperson on National Publications, Hajia Biliqees Oladimeji, association also advised, “all states in the country to allow peaceful coexistence adorning our future leader by allowing them to uphold their religious tenets, as reaffirmed by the Apex court in Nigeria.”
The association urged, “Muslim students to exhibits confidence and pride in the use of hijab as part of their school uniform as ordained by Allah and legalised by the Apex court in Nigeria after unrelented efforts to save Muslim female students from intimidation and punishment by some overzealous teachers in some schools.”
The association called on the, “teachers and parents to teach their students and wards the divine spirit of tolerance as a fundamental principle of peaceful coexistence in a religiously diverse society such as ours.”
The association commended the initiative and steadfastness of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) and all concerned passionate, conscious, professionals and Islamic organisations for the great achievement, all for the sake of Almighty Allah and dignity of our female students.
FOMWAN further congratulated frontline supporters of the Islamic ummah on the legal victory and beseech Almighty Allah to reward them all with the best in the world and hereafter.
As mothers, the association, “advised proprietors of educational institutions to provide for the divine and human rights of Muslim female students in their design of approved school uniform added that the Nigerian constitution allows for freedom of belief.”
The association also advised the female students to remain law-abiding and follow the teachings of Islam on obedience to law and order.
The association therefore said, “since the use of hijab is for Muslim students and not forced on others, the most appropriate steps is for schools to provide the enabling environment which is the sine qua non for peaceful co-existence.”
