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Leadership of the two major religions group, kwara state Muslims Stakeholders Forum and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ijagbo chapter have expressed disagreement following controversy usage of Hijab by Muslim female pupils in state missionary schools.
Nigerian Pilot recalls that one person died during a protest over the use of Hijab at Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, on Thursday, while several others sustained gunshot injuries.
Addressing Journalists at the state NUJ secretariat, the state chairman of Muslims Stakeholders forum Alhaji Isiaq Abdulkareem, said “You would recall that CAN and proprietors of former grant-in-aid schools had earlier instituted court action against the state government to claim ownership of those school for reasons, including the use of hijab in the schools”
“CAN and all the Plaintiffs in the case failed. Both High and Appeal courts held that the schools are public schools developed over the years with tax payers’ money. It also held that use of hijab in public schools is a fundamental right of Muslim girls”
“And it will take any people out of this world to believe that they can deprive people of religious communities like Kwara, the right to use hijab. Having failed in the court, CAN has took to firearm to continue her hegemonic colonial heritage of suppressing Islam and the Muslims”
“Fortified by CAN’s recent press release that the Christian missions own the schools in deviance to and contempt of the courts judgment”
“Christians of ljagbo occupied the school on… disallowed female Muslim students with hijab from entering and disrupted the school activities. While all these rascal acts were going on, the State Government was busy playing politics in a way that portrays it as winning the next election is more important to her than the lives and the rights or kwarans”
The group also called on the Police to investigate the circumstatnces surrounding the crisis with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.
But in his address, Rev Samuel Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of CAN at Ijagbo, Oyun LGA, claimed that some suspected Muslim fundamentalists were responsible for the bloody violence and made it know that CAN will not allow hijab usage in mission schools in the state.
According to him, “It has been said times without number that we cannot and will not allow the use of hijab in our mission schools. We have since asked the state government to return our schools back to us”
“We want to inform the general public that whatever happens in our schools on hijab issue, should be dropped at the doorsteps of the state government”
“The aim and mission of those that went to Oyun Baptist High School to foment trouble on the issue of hijab will fail. CAN in the state will resist their move, even with the last ounce of our blood. We therefore demand that the hoodlums be fished out and prosecuted”
“We implore the state government to as a matter of urgency return our schools back to us. Christians are bonafide citizens of this state and we own it together. If the state government refuses we will use all constitutional means to get our schools back.”
Nigerian Pilot
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