Hijab controversy: Muslim students accuse Law School of Islamophobia, mull legal action

The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has said it will write the presidency over a law graduate’s inability to attend a call to bar ceremony because of her insistence on wearing hijab.

Amasa Firdaus, the law graduate, had made public the details of the incident which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Her experience has resulted in an ongoing debate among Nigerians on social media.

Reacting, Jameel Muhammad, national leader of the MSSN, described the restriction on the use of hijab is “Islamophobia”.

He said if the issue is not resolved by the presidency and national assembly, the society will resort to legal action.

“My first point is that we are Nigerian citizens and we are entitled to our fundamental human rights which include freedom to religion and worship,” Muhammad told TheCable.

“If my religion demands something from me and I am not contravening any law of a country, I see no reason why they should trample upon my fundamental, God given and constitutional right given to me by my country.

“I see it as an affront on even the constitution that we operate because people will just decide without any law because there is no law preventing a Muslim sister from covering her hair within the tenets of the law. Except they want the Muslims to opt out of this profession and if not, we should be given our right. I see it as Islamophobia.

“In the past, we have written severally to the DC of Law School and the chairman of the council on legal rights on this matter but they didn’t even respond.

“So we are going to take it up directly to the leadership of the country, the presidency. By Monday we are submitting our letter to the president and we will state our positions clearly.

“Then we might have to approach the court of the law. Already our lawyers have taken her brief.”