COURT HEARS APPELLANT MOTION AGAINST HIJAB BAN BY LASG THURSDAY

The ‎court of Appeal sitting in Lagos will on Thursday, November 19 hear the appellant motion seeking for extension of time to file a brief against the ban of Hijab in Lagos public schools.

The appeal with suit no CA/L/135/15 is expected to ‎be heard in court one.

The appellants are Miss Asiyat AbdulKareem and MSSN Lagos while Lagos State Government and others are the respondents.

‎The information concerning the case was contained in a notice signed by‎ ‎W. Lukman, AEO.‎

It would be recalled that Justice Grace Modupe Onyeabo earlier ruled against the use of Hijab (Muslim head-scarf) by students in Lagos public schools.

The judgement received lot of condemnation from notable personalities/people in the country as well as Islamic Organisations both home and in diaspora.‎

After the judgement, the MSSN decided to appeal before the present governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode, who was then the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) promised to look into the matter if elected.

Also, the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Idiat Adebule, had asked principals not to punish any student for wearing Hijab on the school uniform outside the school premise pending the conclusion of the case in court.
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The appellants are in court to seek redress and protect Muslim females from being flogged, embarrassed, and victimised for using Hijab within and outside school premises.
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In one of the instances, an eleven-year-old student of Kadara Junior High School, Ebute Metta, Aisha Alabi, was on February 5, 2013, flogged forty three (43) strokes of cane on the assembly ground by her principal, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, for not removing her Hijab after coming out of an Islamic Religious Knowledge class where it is ordinarily permitted to adorn Hijab. ‎
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Similarly, on February 20, 2013, Bareerah Tajudeen of Mafoloku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi had her Hijab removed and trampled upon by her principal, Mrs. Elizabeth Omidele, outside the school premises.
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Counsel to the Muslim students, Adetola Kassim (SAN), had in a 24-paragraph counter affidavit in Lagos High Court, said the use of Hijab was a compulsory religious obligation on Muslim ladies and not women alone.‎


While stressing that Hijab was not only religiously compulsory but constitutional, Kassim said, “Hijab, is Allah's injunction as stated in the Holy Quran, as well as a fundamental rights as fully established in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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“We are not demanding for a full length Hijab, we have exhibited a photograph of a sample of Hijab, which still represents their school identity. The colour of the Hijab can conform to the school uniform. All we want is for the students to be allowed to use Hijab. If beret and caps are allowed for female students, Hijab shouldn't be an exemption."


On his part, ‎President of MSSN Lagos, Mallam Saheed Ashafa, expressed optimism that the appeal court would grant the right to put on Hijab by secondary and primary school students in Lagos State.


Ashafa in a press statement said, “We cannot afford to see our Muslimahs dress naked. Hijab is an apparel of honour, a garment of modesty and a shield against immorality. It is our pride. It is our dignity. We are neither seeking for a favour nor asking for a privilege; we are simply demanding our rights.


“Nigeria’s constitution grants Freedom of Religion, Conscience and Expression. It states clearly the rights to wear anything one feels comfortable with, so far as it is neither provocative nor irresponsible. We put our trust in Allah and pray that victory will be ours as the appeal court shall be hearing the case soon."


Also, the Amirah (Female President) of the MSSN Lagos, Hajia Hafsah Badru, explained that the group was not seeking that Hijab be compelled on all muslim students but be used only by those who want it.


"‎The issue of Islamising Lagos schools does not hold any ground since the mode of dressing in all government schools is already Christian (School uniform with beret for females and short for males as against Hijab and trousers for Muslims). Those who want to willingly obey God should not be victimised for wearing Hijab," she added. ‎


‎SIGNED
Mallam Saheed Ashafa,
Amir (President),
Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria,
Lagos State Area Unit.
+234 817 329 1878

Muslim Students Demand Apology, Adjustment Of Nov/Dec WAEC Timetable

Muslim students under the aegis of Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), have faulted the timing of some subjects of WAEC examinations for Nov./Dec private candidates.

The zonal coordinator of the group in the southern states, Alhaji Mushafau Alaran, who stated this while addressing a news conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yesterday, pointed out that the timetable placed some subjects at a period when Muslims would be observing Jumat prayers.

According to him, the emphatic reference shows that on Oct. 11, the Forestry 2 (Essay) holds between 13 and 15hours. On Oct 18, Government 2 Essay also falls on the same time. Others include Further Mathematics, Applied Electricity 2 and Applied Electricity 1.
According to the MSSN, this was a deliberate act which translates to taking Muslims for granted and disrespect for the religion.
“It should be noted that Jumat prayer is an obligation that all Muslims must observe”, he said, demanding an apology and adjustment of the timetable.

Credit to Daniel

OUR STAND ON THE KILLING OF OUR FORMER AMIR: A PETITION TO NSA- MSSN National President

From the MSSN desk:

OUR STAND ON THE KILLING OF OUR FORMER AMIR: A PETITION TO NSA

Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd.)
The National Security Adviser,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Abuja

Dear Sir,

PETITION AGAINST THE MURDER OF PROFESSOR AHMAD MUSTAPHA FALAKI IN COLD BLOOD BY THE ACTION OR INACTION OF NIGERIAN POLICE.

We write to demand for justice on the gruesome murder of our former National Secretary General ( 1977-1978) and President (1978-79), Professor Ahmad Mustapha Falaki of the Institute of Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University , Zaria by the police- same people employed and provided with facilities for the protection of lives and property of all Nigerians.

The sad event happened on Sunday, 15th February 2015 in Kibiya Local Government Area of Kano State when the Professor was on his way to Bauchi State with his brother and official driver. It was alleged they were suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgency group by the police.

On the contrary, the professor was rather a victim of armed robbery whose Toyota Hilux was snatched at gun point and thus had only option of trekking to a nearby village of Fala in the Local Government Area in a bid to board a vehicle to Kano. Upon arrival at the village, they headed for Police Station to report the incident as ordinary law-abiding Nigerians. To our utter and unimaginable dismay, the police in Kibiya accused them of being Boko Haram members. Even when they identified themselves with the presentation of their ID cards and drivers licenses, they were rebuffed and mercilessly beaten till the professor died and his brother fainted. It was only the driver who managed to run away for safety in a nearby bush as the police proved to be wilder than the forest. Later, when the identity of the killed professor became manifest, the police came up with a fathom allegation that the act was committed by a mob in the said village.

In the light of the above, sir, this is a clear case of extra judicial killing of a selfless, patriotic Nigerian who had spent all his life in the service of the country. This act is totally unacceptable notwithstanding whoever might have committed it. It is the duty of any responsive government to make sure that perpetrators of such acts are brought to book expeditiously. We totally condemn and reject the hasty accusation that the professor and his brother were insurgents when they had already identified themselves. It is saddening that if a person of Professor Ahmad Falaki, a renowned professor of Agronomy of international repute could be so cruelly murdered in cold blood, then, the fate of ordinary Nigerian citizens is precarious.

We state unequivocally that impunity and extra- judicial killing has become a culture of Nigeria Police Force. Furthermore, the heartless and needless murder of the eminent Professor cannot be divorced from his Islamic identity.

We cannot but wonder that there is a deliberate plan to eliminate prominent Muslim personalities in the country. Indeed, with this latest development, we are convinced that hatred and extra- judicial killings of Muslims are becoming institutionalised in our country.

OUR PRAYER
From the foregoing, we demand the following:
i) Immediate setting up of a powerful and independent panel of enquiry to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the murder of Prof. Ahmed Mustafa Falaki
ii) Prosecution of all those found culpable in the murder
iii) Proper measures should be put in place to prevent future occurrence

Yours Sincerely,

Sirajudeen Abdulazeez Folayemi
National President