Islamic Group, MURIC Appeals To Tinubu To Ensure Use Of Hijab In Lagos Schools

An Islamic rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has appealed to the ruling All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu to ensure the enforcement of the Supreme Court ruling on the hijab crisis in Lagos State.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola. Akintola begged the former Lagos governor to intervene in the matter, saying it affects the constitutional rights of Muslims in the state.

The Lagos state government had banned the use of hijab in public schools on the premise that it was not part of the approved school uniform for students.

Consequently, Muslim students filed a suit on May 27, 2015, asking the court to declare the ban as a violation of their rights to freedom of thought, religion and education.

The suit marked CA/L/135/15, was filed by one Asiyat AbdulKareem (through her father), Moriam Oyeniyi and the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria against the state government.

“But responding to the text message a week later on 23rd October, 2022, the Commissioner simply said the circular would now be issued by the Head of Service. We began to see delay tactics on the part of LASG as represented by the Commissioner. Or should we be tossed around like ping-pong?

“We are explaining all these so that Nigerians can see how we have waited patiently all this while. We approached the court since 2012 instead of going on protests because protests can be easily hijacked.

“Unlike the #EndSARS children of multiple anger who came with the diabolical motive to destroy Lagos (may Allah never allow that to happen), Islamic organisations in Lagos submitted themselves to the rule of law and refused to tow the path of violent struggle. The court case lasted ten years from 2012 to 2022. Haven’t we been patient enough? Haven’t we been law-abiding?

“LASG appears not to know that its silence over the Supreme Court judgement can be misinterpreted as a deliberate attempt to undermine the rule of law and it may fall foul of contempt of the highest court in the land.”

“We call on Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene. MURIC does not issue threats. We have never done it before and we will not do it now. Neither do we issue an ultimatum. But whatever LASG does with the hijab case on which the highest court in the land has made a pronouncement will send a strong message to Nigerians, particularly at this crucial period,” the statement added.