After being sent out of school on Wednesday, the students converted a tricycle popularly known as ‘Keke Napep’ to their classroom.
It was learnt that the Principal, Mrs. J O Sadare, had on Friday announced on the Assembly that students should not wear hijab to school.
After the announcement on Friday, some of the students wore the hijab to school and were given a letter to come with their parents on Tuesday.
When the students got to the school with their parents, the principal walked them out of her office after their insistence that their daughters must put on the hijab.
Narrating the incident, Amir (President) of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria in Lagos State, Alhaji Saheed Ashafa, described the incident as disappointing in a press statement.
He said: “The entire drama started on Friday in the school when the Principal announced to the students that no one is allowed to wear hijab in the school. Surprisingly for her, some of the students still wore the hijab to school on Monday. She gave the students letters to invite their parents to school. In the letter, she threatened that the students will not be allowed into the school without their parents.
“When she shared the letter, a majority of students fidgeted and agreed to stop wearing the hijab. She collected the letters and let go of those ones, but about five of them refused to return the letter. When we were contacted, we asked the parents to honour the Principal’s invitation. They went there with our (MSSN) representatives but were embarrassed by the Principal who gave them the option of either their children’s education or religion. She eventually walked them out of her office after they insisted that their daughters must put on the hijab.
“The parents subsequently proceeded to the Education District in charge of the school and they were assured that something would be done. With the hope that her (the Principal) superiors should have spoken with her to realise that what she was doing was wrong with the subssisting Appeal Court judgement, the students went to school on Wednesday (today) and were still prevented from entering the school.
“These are Senior Secondary School Two and Three students who need to study hard for their examinations. When we got to the school this morning, we saw some of the students copying notes for lessons they have missed on Monday and Tuesday while the others were teaching themselves old lessons inside a tricycle on the street. This is disastrous for us. While there colleagues were in the classrooms learning, they were on the street just for being Muslims.”
As we speak, the assistant head girl, who is one of the students that refused to put off her hijab has been removed and replaced.
Ashafa explained that the Lagos State Government has continuously disobeyed the Court of Appeal ruling granting the use of hijab in schools.
He said: “We wish to inform the general public that we have been very peaceful on this matter. Even when some of the principals harassed our members, we go there to engage them amicably. We will not allow this to stay. This Principal must be sanctioned, removed and the students must return to school immediately.
“As a law-abiding student-based organisation, we approached the Court of law on the usage of hijab by students. At the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on October 17, 2014, Justice Modupe Onyeabo banned the use of hijab in public primary and secondary schools in Lagos State.
“But we headed to the Court of Appeal. A five-man special appellate court panel, presided by Justice A.B. Gumel, on July 21, 2016, overruled the October 17, 2014 judgment of Justice Modupe Onyeabo of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, which banned the use of hijab in public primary and secondary schools in Lagos State. While striking down Justice’s Onyeabo’s verdict, the Justice Gumel panel held that the ban on hijab was discriminatory against Muslim pupils in the state.
“Dissatisfied with the decision of the appellate court, the Lagos State Government approached the Supreme Court after failing to secure a Stay of Execution, but no judgment has been delivered yet. In law, where there is no other contrary judgement, the subsisting judgement remains valid.
“Thus, the ongoing harassment of our members is not only unconstitutional, an infringement, but also a contempt. Again, we repeat that this will never be allowed to stay. We will give this lawless, anti-democratic and anti-masses government what it wants and likes to witness.”
Hmmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteThere's a time for everything. A time to learn and a time for religion. With or without any head covering, with a pure and sincere heart,you would still get God's attention. We don't see the big men children carrying religion on their head oh.
DeleteAnon 9:06, so students can't learn with the hijab on? And big men's children are a yardstick for measuring religious practice?
DeleteThere’s a time and place for everything, if they don’t want hijab, they don’t want it, don’t force authority to bend their rules for you. Very good for them, that’s how that mumu law student missed her call to bar
DeleteI know understand why you are always petty about some religion articles on this blog. They can as well go to Islamic schools. why Hijab in Secondary School? can't they wait and put on as soon as they leave the school premises. why do muslims like hitting up the polity with their rules or whatever!
Delete@push up so if they don't want it they don't want it abi. Because it is only Christians that pay tax or is it only Christians that are Nigerians? Abeg live and let live. Using the hijab does not affect them so let them use the hijab.
DeleteEESAH why are you sensitive over trivial issues? There are rules and regulations binding in the school. The authorities asked the girls not to wear hijab, they can change schools even they don't like the rules there for goodness sake.People like you create animosity and divide along tribe and religion. Please stop it. A very good friend of mine is Muslim, and we respect each other's religion. Stellz will just let you guys mess this blog and unnecessary cyber bullying will start between tribes and religion. Let's chase fraudsters away from here, supporter of muhammed buhari. EESAH.
DeleteUnnecessary controversy madam .
ReplyDeleteI am a Christian leave these kids alone
May God bless you.. Does the hijab stop anything or does these girls wearing hijab affect anybody? This is just unnecessary and unfair and yes I am a muslim. This is a public school for God's sake; for those ignorant bigots shouting they should have been enrolled in a "Muslim" schools, even here in the UK, students in public schools are allowed to wear their Hijabs its their fundamental human right, so what are we saying here....
DeleteZay Abu
Public schools doesn’t mean you can disobey their rules, public school doesn’t mean you can do anyhow cus it’s called “public”
Delete@push up and what does public school mean exactly? Even in civilized countries with better public schools nobody is against the use of hijab talk more of public schools funded by my taxes.
DeleteP. S- I am a Muslim and I pay tax. Do you? Something funded from our commonwealth
What will happened Now?
ReplyDeleteThey must take it off or look for another skol period
DeleteOga, imagine displaying your bigotry and ignorance with your business name.. Asheni ton shey ara eh.. SMH...
DeleteZay Abu
Business name and so? You think errbody is two-faced like you?
DeleteBrother inverter you better face your inverter. If them no commot am make you go remove am na.
DeleteIntolerant lots. Oshisko PLC
Its not the principal's fault, Lagos State Government banned the use of Hijab
ReplyDeleteIt's her fualt and Nope the Lagos state government couldn't ban it. They tried to ban it but failed to secure a Stay of Execution after approaching the Appeal Court and like they stated above, In law, where there is no other contrary judgement, the subsisting judgement remains valid. So this bigot of a teacher is acting on her own authority.
DeleteThis is where you come in. Religious bigot.
DeleteSalam alaykum akhi.. Please ignore these biased bigots, wasn't expecting anything different from them.. Stella don bring their food, na their blog be this, anything to bash Islam and Muslims na to feast on am.. It is obvious most of them didn't even read the report, they only commented based on the headline and those that did read couldn't comprehend hence the silly talks of the girls enrolling in a Muslim school and all.. To be honest it is pointless arguing or trying to educate these ignorant bigoted beings, their sense of reasoning has been overthrown by their hatred for Islam..
DeleteZay Abu..
Salam
Thanks for not posting my comment oo.. I know you can be biased sometimes so I'm not surprised. It's okay to approve hateful comments like the ones on here yet disapprove my harmless comment for Eesah to stop arguing with the biased bigots on your blog..This is one of the reasons I stopped visiting LIB.. What I said isn't far from the truth, you know that yourself but na your blog so nothing do you..
DeleteZay Abu
Your first comment is here but have you come back to retract the second one? Mtscheeeeeeeew
DeleteHmmmm this is a serious matter. instead of hijab can they put on Beret or the school should customize hijab for the students and make them buy it from the school for uniformity sake
ReplyDeleteEven in Kano that is the head quaters, students tie scarf to govt schools, of they want to wear hijab, let them go to Anseruddeen me. Always making troubles where there is no need.
Deleteexactly, beret is very ok, which one be hijab to secondary school for that matter.
DeleteWe tell you say we want beret? Make una dey use una beret o, we want hijabs and that is what we will get. Una never see anything in this Nigeria. We will be able to use the hijab freely and that headache wey dey worry una when we dey use the hijab go show you pepper
Delete13:31 show us pepper as in Christians? All the killings never do una? It is well
DeleteMuslims like wahala, after school they can cover Thier whole body is they like
ReplyDeleteAnd Christians don't like Wahala? Christians are all saints? What's the need of what the teacher is doing if not looking for wahala? Going by what this Christian teacher is doing, who like wahala pass?
Deleteexactly, just take a look at the lond Hijab? why do these people create unnecessary tension,
Delete@love let us practice our religion and we will let you be. We are Sha not forcing the hijab on others. Hijab is our right.
DeleteBut there muslim secondary school nah? There parents would have register them in muslim school,to save us this drama.
ReplyDeleteExactly! They should go to a Muslim school.
DeleteHellooo! This is a public school so what are you saying???
DeleteThen let them dress like public school students and stop littering everywhere with parachutes.
DeleteThis is a public school for christ sake...who on earth does that....
DeleteI am a christian and to ke, this is nothing to write home about, why would she have sent them homezfor wat purpose or reason?..
Mc pinky
My friend dnt come here to display ur ignorance..there are government muslim schools.
DeleteJust imagine, people de talk this one that can't construct a simple sentence without a blunder too de talk...chai Stella's blog de really give pple voice oo..
DeleteWell Mr/Madam oki, you are too backward and ignorant to understand what is going on so I will educate you. Firstly, this a public school and Nigeria being a secular country gives these girls the freedom to practice their religion however they want. Only a private or religious school have the right to discriminate in their selection when taking on students or how the students should be dressed. Secondly, as part of their fundamental human rights, these children have every right to practice their religion freely as I mentioned earlier and also have the right to education. So not only is the principal denying them their religious freedom, she is also violating their rights of education by denying them access to their classes.
My question still stands, how does wearing hijab stop these girls from performing? From the above report, one of the girls is the assistant head girl which is an indication that she's brilliant and well-behaved; so how does her hijab affect her or anybody for that matter?
Zay Abu
Anon,you can also go nd educate yourself aswell,bcs the fundamental human right you are talkin about ,it include the christains nd also the traditional religion,if the school authority can stop the christains frm wearing rosary ,nd also stop the traditional religion to wear cawries ,so the muslim children can also stop the wearing of hijab..thesame reason why FG stop the use of hijab in orientation camp..Islamic is problem of Nigeria.
DeleteThank you very much Oki Royalty, you just took it out of my mouth, its simple, they should go to a muslim government school which is even in that same Isolo,
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete@Oki Royalty you have a very valid point...Thumbs up!
DeleteSo because its a public school,Uniformity shouldnt be adhered to abi? All man should wear what they like to school to form craze naa abi?
DeleteRespect the Authority at any place you are for peace sake..
Which stupid uniformity? Una oga wey una copy no dey even use school uniform for their public schools. BTW in case you all have forgotten the key word is PUBLIC here. So everyone has equal right here.
DeleteLagos state needs to come to term with the idea of Muslim students wearing hijab cause ain't a thing they can do about it. A state with 70% of it's population as Muslims and you don't want them to wear hijab which is an obligatory aspect of their religion? I actually blame Muslims in Lagos for allowing this linger for long, cause if the Muslims in Lagos were very serious Muslims, they wouldn't have been able to keep trying this bullshit when they have majority of it's population. Wearing the hijab never hurts nobody or stops kids from learning so the religious bigoted Christian teachers trying to discriminate against it, waka shege ✋😜😝
ReplyDeleteThe principal is only following her employer's instruction.
ReplyDeleteNo be she dey pay herself salary.
Which employer oo ejo, you mean lagos state? Guess you are one of those that just read the headline and not the body of a report. The ban has since been overturned and an appeal is yet to be heard. Therefore in this case, she isn't doing any job, she's going against the courts ruling and discriminating against the students..
DeleteZay Abu
Let them go to Muslim schools. When the State says no hijab in their schools you still sent your children there with hijab. This is disobedience and I wonder why Muslims like to cause unnecessary problem.
ReplyDeleteDont be stupid. Christians don't cause unnecessary wahala? Christians keep looking for wahala and when Muslims react, you all start screaming Muslims like wahala
DeleteMy thoughts exactly
DeleteDid you read about the court ruling above? No you didn’t. You were just in a hurry to make a point with your comment. It is still ignorant though.
DeleteIt's in their DNA. See Eesah ☝️☝️there.
DeleteChai, reading and comprehension is definitely a problem for some.. I really feel sorry for Nigeria.
DeleteCourt ruling or not, to avoid fracas and too much stressing up of issues, they should take them to a Muslim school
DeleteLet them go to Muslim school to save theirselves stress..
ReplyDeleteIt is a public school, drungo.
DeleteExactly!!!
DeleteAs far as a rosary and other Christian hand bands aren't allowed, so should the hijab.. Good riddance to bad rubbish
ReplyDeleteWho said they shouldn't use rosary and hand bands. It's not it's all Christians that use the handbands and rosaries. You can as well fight for the use of rosaries. Wetin be our own?
DeleteDO YOU AND LET US DO OUR OWN. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD BE USING PANADOL FOR ANOTHER PERSON'S HEADACHE
NEXT!! These Muslim folks should go and sit down
ReplyDeleteWhy can't they adhere strictly to the school uniform?. Must Muslims include religion in everything they do?. They keep going to court over trivial issues. They should be concerned about the quality of education their children are getting and not the wearing of hijab. The parents should decide what they want..education or religion?.
ReplyDeleteYou can see now, the parents have already chosen Hijab
Deletethey should go to a Muslim school if they love their hijab so much. If they can't adhere to the dress code of the school , they should get the hell out, no be by force
ReplyDeleteIf you are religious, please put your child in a school that conforms to your beliefs.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteThough in law, the Court of Appeal's judgment is still subsisting till another Pronouncement by the Supreme Court.
They should follow instructions. Simple.
ReplyDeleteThe school said no Hijab. They invited you as a parent to inform you the school has banned the use of hijab.. All you could do is to tell the teaches in their face that your child must wear hijab. Next thing una pay keke showing the face of your children in order to get publicity. Its aright. Keep teaching them how to disobey authorities. In few years time, they will leave the school and continue displaying what you thought them with you. Make una continue ooo.
ReplyDeleteBack in the days, no one wore hijab in schools. There were muslims in the school, so i wonder how they coped back then. And why there is so much insistence on wearing it now?
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a strict uniform rule? so if there should be a hijab, then it has to be the same colour, just like a school shirt,pinafore or skirt.You know.
If in a public school,there is no inclusion of hijab for muslims, then there should be no uproar nah.. Just change to another public school,that accepts.
Est ..Thanks ,my tot exactly ,nd one foolish anon attacked me.
DeleteI remember vividly, in my class then, we have a lot of muslim students, and we all wear berets then, so whats with all this hijab, Please they should all go and take a seat
DeleteIn my secondary school..hijab was allowed,on school uniform..it has to be either pink or white and must be that one and half yard,but on house wear..any colour goes and we lived in peace,make the hijab school colour and short...unnecessary issue
ReplyDeleteThe issue of Hijab is over flogged, just looking at some girls in my compound and their attitude is very appaling. Hardly play with other girls simply 'cos they are on Hijab or whateve, and am sure same thing with this crop of girls. Parents, please lets educate our children on religios tolerance. God have mercy.
ReplyDeleteThanks anon..these muslim folk thinks government schools belong to them.
ReplyDeleteThanks anon.
ReplyDeleteEssah,do public school mean madness?
ReplyDeleteI don't know why those girls did that but it's not right. There are Muslims schools where wearing hijab is a must. If they really want peace then they obey authority. If they start others will follow suit. This is how Boko haram started. The court should think well before ruling o.
ReplyDeleteThis is the reason why Islam has remained a largely violent religion. A uniform is a piece of cloth designed l
ReplyDeletePrimarily for sake of uniformity in an assembly, when you start teaching children that disobedience of the governing their circle how on earth can you claim that such religion is peaceful
For crying out loud it is a government school and not an Islamic school. Students should not be allowed to wear any form of religious outfit in public school.
ReplyDelete