Stop the bill: CAN Reveals what will Happen if Hijab is Legalised in Nigeria
- A bill seeking to institutionalise the use of hijab in both public and private schools has generated reactions
- The Christian Association of Nigeria is against this move and asked the leadership of the National Assembly to suspend the bill
- According to the Christian body, the Act is ill-timed and uncalled for
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Following the raging hijab crisis, a bill has been presented before the House of Representatives to legalise the use of hijab by female Muslims in public and private schools across the country.
The Punch reports that the leadership of the National Assembly has been urged by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to suspend the bill.
The Christian association in a statement by Joseph Bade Daramola, its general secretary, noted that the Act is ill-timed.
Source: Twitter
Speaking further, CAN warned that legalising the use of hijab would cause trouble in Nigeria, adding that those who start it may not be able to handle it.
While noting that the bill is totally unacceptable in a country with multiple religions, the organisation questioned what sponsors stand to gain from it other than to compound Nigeria's security problem.
CAN asked the lawmakers to address insecurity, unemployment among other issues in the country instead of focusing on legislating hijab.
In another report by The Sun, CAN’s reaction to the bill was said to be in response to the recent violence that erupted in Kwara state over the disagreement involving the use of hijab in schools, especially in Christian-owned institutions.
Daramola explained that any Christian pupil who goes to an Islamic school would have to abide by their rules and the same goes for Muslim students.
He added that it was provocative and disrespectful that a Muslim student comes to a Christian school that operates under different dressing culture and insist on her own culture.
Similarly, the Kwara government led by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has been urged by the Kwara Baptist Conference to respect the rule of law concerning schools of religious bodies in the state.
In a statement issued by the president, Rev’d. Dr. V.S.A Dada, the Conference described the state government's action of closing religious bodies schools as committing contempt of court over the issue.
Rev'd Dada who noted that the matter is still pending before the Supreme Court, added that a high court ordered the existing status quo be maintained.
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Oluwatobi Bolashodun is a Legit.ng journalist with six years of working experience in the media industry. She graduated from Babcock University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication. Oluwatobi is a Current Affairs Editor, mostly writing on political, educational, and business topics. She uses her team spirit to encourage others to work hard.
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