The pockets of opposition to the usage of Hijab by Muslim women across the world though painful has rather been beneficial, the Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women (CNMW) has said.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja on the 2017 annual World Hijab Day being celebrated every February 1 worldwide, the spokesperson of the coalition Hajiya Maimuna Isah Sulaiman call for more awareness on the importance and propriety of the Hijab.
The commemoration which has been adopted by the United Nations (UN) was first marked in 2013 in over 50 countries after it was initiative by Nazma Khan a Bangladeshi-American following her harassment in her school and also due to the former President Nicholas Sarkozy of France who succumb to anti-immigration pressure group by clamping down of French Muslim Women’s public use of the Hijab.
Sulaiman also said that part of the strategies of the awareness is the commemorative lecture hosted since 2014 and that this year’s edition would be held on Saturday at the Abuja National Mosque.
She said that Wife of President Hajiya Aisha Buhari would be the Special Guest of Honour, the wife of former vice president Hajia Aminat Namadi Sambo is the Guest of Honour, while Hajiya Aisha Umar Yusuf, the Editor of Muslim Worldview Newspaper is the Guest Speaker and Wife of FCT Minister Hajiya Maryam Musa Bello as the Chief Host.
“This year’s theme is “Stand for Her Right to Cover #Istandforhijab” is a strong message of support and encouragement for hijab usage. The topic is “My Noble Right: Enhancing My Ability to Stand for Hijab.
“In the last year, both opposition to the Muslim woman’s hijab and tremendous public and institutional support for it has grown exponentially.
“In Nigeria, several issues dominated the public discourse on Hijab in 2016 includingthe Appeal Court ruling lifting of a High Court imposed ban on hijab in Lagos schools.
“Also in June 2016, an Osun State High Court legalised the use of hijab by Muslim students which elicited opposition and resulted in some Christian students wearing Church and traditional religious garments to school,” she said.
She,however, said that hijab is receiving the right advocacy and support in many Western countries where the army and police uniforms have been modified to accommodate the Muslim woman’s right to use it.
She listed United States, Canada, Scotland, Norway, United Kingdom and Australia among others that have permitted their Muslim women in police, military and other security agencies to wear hijab on their uniforms.
Also a lecturer in the University of Abuja Dr. Rafat AbdulHamid said the issue of some people in hijab involved in suicide bombings or committing some illegalities is not tenable to ban hijab as there were cases of Nigerian Army and Police uniforms being used illegally to perpetrate crime wondering if thisshould lead to banning the uniforms.
