Women seek rights groups’ intervention in hijab discrimination

Our Reporter

Al-Mu’minaat (The Believing Women) Organisation has called on all human rights advocates to fight for the rights of Muslim women that are being trampled upon in Nigeria.

Al-Mu’minaat National Amirah (President), Hajia Nimatullah AbdulQuadri, at a briefing to commemorate the 2020 World Hijab Day (WHD) in Lagos, described the assault on women in hijab as rape of justice.

“This is because some parents may deny their female children education due to the oppression,’’ she said.

Such denial, Hajia AbdulQuadri said, “will further increase the already poor girl child enrolment figures, increase the number of out-of-school children and a continuation of the cycle of ignorance, backwardness, and of course poverty’’.

According to her, it is saddening to note that despite the clear provisions of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, which provides for the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Muslim women and girls are still being subjected to persecution, ridicule, oppression and injustice because of their religion, especially in Nigeria.

She said: “Innumerable incidences of discrimination, denial, persecution, profiling, and harassment abound even in public institutions; ministries, departments and agencies.

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“Institutions powered by our taxes! These must stop forthwith. After all, the Nigerian constitution as we have it today still recognises and protects religious freedom.”

Hajia AbdulQuadri described as criminal to harass Muslim women, deny their rights, profile them or discriminate against them in any manner whatsoever just because they choose to exercise their rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion by wearing the hijab.

Naibatul Amirah (Vice President) Hajia Yusuf Ajibade said stereotyping women in hijab would no longer be tolerated.

“This is a denial of their rights. The constitution seeks to protect all citizens and so Muslims in all professions. The military inclusive must be allowed to be Muslims indeed…”