The National Ameerah (President) of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Hajiya Rofiah Sanni, Sunday said she does not frown at people discriminating against the hijab.
She said she believes the more people discriminate against hijab, the more awareness that is being created about it.
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Sanni spoke on Sunday during a webinar to commemorate the World Hijab Day organised by Hijab Advocacy Coalition comprising over 20 Islamic organisations in Lagos.
The theme of the Hijab Day marked on February 1st is “Hijab is our Crown, not a Crime.”
The FOMWAN president who is a retired principal also recalled how she was rejected several times on account of using hijab.
She said, “When I was a teacher, the day I was given the first letter of appointment, just because of my hijab, the school needed a physics teacher and I had the best result when I was in school.
“When I got to that school, the woman, just seeing my hijab, said, “No, we don’t need a physics teacher.” I went to the next school, but I was rejected.”
She recalled she had to remove her hijab to get her first job but later adorned it after securing the job and getting all the documents to effectively assume duties.
According to her, that episode, which happened 35 years ago “arose the Islam” in her.
She declared that the World Hijab Day was not for any celebration but a day set aside to create awareness on hijab.
Hajiya Sanni said, “Let people start discriminating against us, it will be giving us more strength, more light and more insight into Islam.
“But the only thing for us is to continue to encourage our children that when you wear the hijab when you wear the Niqab (face covering), behave well. Do it well. If you are in your place of work, don’t go late to school, do whatever is your responsibility in your school, in your place of work and with that nobody would be able to push you back.”
In his keynote address, a Khadi of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Abdurraheem Ahmad Sayi described the hijab as a prescription by Almighty Allah to Muslim women.
He, however, warned against any merrymaking in the name of celebrating World Hijab Day in order not to introduce another innovation to Islam.
He said, “We are all witnesses to the gross discrimination against our sisters on the basis of using hijab. Sometimes hijab strikes fear in some people, some people don’t just feel comfortable with hijab.
“People are ignorant and uninformed. We need to improve on the advocacy but we should not make it look like another religiously prescribed celebration.”
The Executive Director of Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, Hajiya Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, said the coalition had resolved to end discrimination against hijab in order to make Nigeria a more inclusive society.
She also decried the discrimination against Muslim women in the course of biometric registration for the West African Examination Council.
“WAEC in 2017 did a publication acknowledging and admitting the right of sisters to use hijab during biometric registration and the actual exam.”
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