DSS invites Osun religious leaders over hijab crisis

Femi Makinde, Osogbo

The Department of State Services has invited the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Osun State, Rev.  Elisha Ogundiya, and some Muslim leaders in the state over the looming crisis in public schools following a court verdict on the use of hijab in government’s schools.

Justice Jide Falola of the Osun State High Court had on June 3 gave a verdict that Muslim students should be allowed to wear hijab in all public schools in the state because it was part of their fundamental rights.

 

The CAN had held an emergency meeting following the judgment and threatened that it would direct Christian pupils to start wearing choir robes and other religious garments to schools should the state government implement the judgment.

A source told our correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday that the CAN chairman and other Christian leaders as well as Muslim leaders were invited separately by the Osun DSS to stave off the crisis.

The source said, “The CAN chairman and some leaders were invited by the DSS officials in Osogbo last week’s Wednesday. They were invited based on the crisis which the court judgment on hijab is likely to cause.

“Some Muslim leaders were also invited the following day on the same matter but I did not know the details of the two meetings.”

The CAN chairman when contacted by our correspondent on the telephone confirmed the invitation.

He said, “I was invited by the DSS director and I told him that we are peace-loving people. We are not at war with anybody but we will direct our children to start wearing choir robes and any church garment they like to schools if the state government decides to implement the judgment that Muslims children are free to wear hijab to schools founded by Christian missionaries.

“If wearing hijab is their right, then wearing of choir robes to schools is the right of our children as well. It is very simple. We are not fighting with anybody on this.”

Meanwhile, the Muslim community has urged CAN to respect the court judgment on hijab.

The Vice-President of Osun State Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, said this at a press conference in Osogbo on Friday.

Olawuyi said there should be no argument concerning the implementation of the court judgement on wearing of hijab which was the fundamental rights of female Muslim students in public schools in the state.

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