Sultan: Hijab is our right and it must be given to us

Sa’ad Abubakar, sultan of Sokoto, says putting on hijab is the right of Muslims and it “must be given to us.

Speaking at the general assembly/executive national council meeting of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) in Benin, Edo state capital on Saturday, the monarch lamented over the attribution of negative vices to Islamic religion, saying there are bad and good people in any society.

“Issues of hijab and other issues peculiar to Islam is our right and our demands must be given to us,” he said.

“We want to be treated equally, we are not asking for special treatment… Anything bad is attributed to the Muslims, this is wrong. There are bad and good people in any society, but bad people should be picked out and taught what is right.

“People do many terrible things elsewhere, but they are not termed terrorists. We are peaceful people and must contribute to the peace in the country.”

The monarch identified peaceful coexistence as an essential ingredient that drives sustainable development.

He said people should be allowed to practice their beliefs without any form of disturbance.

“Nigeria is a multi-religious state. We must allow the various religions to go on. We must not trample on each other’s rights,” he said.

“People must be allowed to go anywhere in the country to do what they want to do freely, whether they are Muslims, Christians, Yoruba, Igbo or Fulani.”