On Firdausi’s hijab controversy

BY AMIRU HALILU

I found myself disinclined to make comment on Firdausi Amosa Hijab controversy at the Nigerian law school penultimate week. Notwithstanding, the knee-jerk reactions to this unfolding event emanated from cretin’s cretins, halfwit, ignoramuses in every respect jolt me to draw a picture. Firdausi was denied being called to bar by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) for refusing to remove her neck length Hijab.

In retrospect, this rather unfortunate incident occurred at ABUTH when a female nurse, Safiya Ahmad was sacked by the management of the hospital over wearing a breast length Hijab right under the watch of the then medical director Prof. Abdulmuni Hassan Rafindadi.

This ugly adventure has crop up again, thus the idle rich of the day flocked to social media and hurled a series of insult at her and her sympathisers who deem it fit to justify her action. Using words like: Terrorist, extremist, religion bigot, chauvinist and so on. It’s uncharitable to tar Firdausi and her apologists with such a wicked brush, just because she decided to be in a different league to her peers in appearance. Our noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had foreseen such situation to say that, “there will soon down an age when those who hold on to the deen (Religious) will be like one holding a burning coal.”

Firdausi’s critics or more appropriately ignoramuses argued that Nigeria is a secular state. Why will Nigeria be a secular state? After all, we have our principles, basis, doctrine and laws that are more pertinent to the tenet of our religion. I always refer something of this nature as a colossal post-independence miscalculation of Nigerian Muslim leaders, and I find them at fault for their reluctance to appeal for taking another look or re-examination of all the laws we inherited from our colonial masters which are not in conformity with Islamic tenet. It would have been on the button should our religious leaders deal with this conundrum and paradox right before now.

There really a need for those of us who do know the right things to think to take pity on the ignoramuses who don’t and really correct them when they are wrong.

Islam imposes a host of restrictions and prohibitions on mankind in order to keep human beings, within the confines of humanity by upholding their morality and spiritual values. All acts practices and attitude which lead to fornication and pervasion are banned in Islam. The attitude of Islam in this regard is to prevent man from plunging into the abyss of immorality which destroys his moral fibre and reduces him to levels below that of even beasts.

The aim of Hijab with its restrictions, prohibitions and exhortations is the preservation and the development of the morality and spirituality of mankind. Without a high degree of moral and spiritual development Muslims have no hope of success.

For this reason, those witless dope and ignoramuses out there who resorted to name calling should hold back their preconceived notion and take note that Firdausi is not a hidebound traditionalist but a well enlighten, cogitative and a wise young lady who is well aware that a women’s body is known to be an object of concealment. Muslim leaders should rise up to these challenges and put an end to this persistent Islamophobia.

Halilu, a public affairs commentator, tweets @Amiruhalilu