The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, MSSN has answered the Imam’s call, joined the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria, IMAN, to protest against the anti himar regime in College of Nursing and Midwifery Yola, Adamawa state.IMAN has earlier written to Provost of the college, Mrs Lami Aminu seeking to know the reason behind the anti Islamic unofficially or as the Islamic group understood unlawfully introduced policy aimed at humiliating the female students that is capable of emotionally and psychologically affecting their academic activities. The provost however failed to respond to the petition as much as she declined to suspend the faith based sentiment ban on the acceptable dressing code for the Muslim womenThe Imam of the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, MAUTH Yola mosque at the Friday qutba has called on the Muslim ummah and the constituted authority to challenge the anti Islamic activity that is capable of causing dissension, religious, moral and mutual mistrust.
Fact Check news reports that the Muslim Students under the auspices of Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, (MSSN) have decried the alleged usurpation of the fundamental rights of female Muslim students in the college of nursing and midwifery Yola by the provost of the collage, Mrs Lami Aminu.
In a letter dated August 25, 2023 addressed to the provost, the Amir of MSSN Adamawa area unit, Mukhtari Adamu urged the school management to make a detour in the interest of peace, religious freedom and respect for the fundamental rights of the affected students.
In the letter entitled “Seizure and denial of wearing of the hijab by students within the school premises, an infringement of human rights and call for immediate stoppage,” MSSN said, if allowed to prevail, such disregard can degenerate to a serious security threat.
“We are constrained to address this letter to you viewing the recent happenings in the College and to forestall the infringement of human rights and impending security deterioration.
“We have been following trends of events in the College and were also reliably informed that female students who wear Hijab within the school premises have their Hijabs not only being seized but are also harassed and intimidated with abuses beyond what an ordinary mind will conceive.
“The practice of denying students who desire to wear Hijab in school is not new and it has generated controversy that the College leadership is supposed to be conscious of. We are not unaware of the efforts of some members of your staff who drew your attention to the case at hand wherein you promised them that it will not happen in your time henceforth as a Provost of the College.
“However, we are astonished to hear that it was you the Provost who stood at the College gate and denied some of the students who choose to wear their Hijab their lawful right of ingress to the College.
“It is without doubt, this has generated a lot of emotions and unwarranted tension within and outside the school. Thus, the issue of human rights denial and religious freedom as enshrined in our Constitution is put to question by the leadership you are exhibiting in the College.
“This invariably raises concerns over the security apprehension. For your guidance, the use of Hijab apart from being a Constitutional issue which has long been put to rest by the Apex Court, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria through its Circular dated 23rd December, 2022 with Reference Number N&MCN/SG/RO/GC/13/VOL.9/127 has sanctioned the use of Hijab even on Uniform not to talk of wearing it within the College premises,” the statement said.
The students noted that they will not fold their arms against a glaring abuse of the rights of the Muslim students with impunity despite the fact that their action of using Hijab is not a constitutional aberration.
“We Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, our core mandate is to help the school to entrench what is right and morally accepted within the ambit of the law, we will not hold our arms akimbo and shut our mouths when it is crystal clear that rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are being trampled upon either by an individual, group or institution.
“We have inherent powers to draw the attention of the authorities to put a stop to this unwholesome practice targeted at some group of people either because of their belief or culture. Your action and some of your staff is not only unconstitutional, but also presents danger to the fragile peace we are witnessing in the College and the State at large.
“While previous action championed by you and some of the staff of the College is being reviewed by the Society, we call for immediate and forthwith stoppage of the act and allow the students to wear what is right and acceptable within the boundaries of the law as the rules of the College cannot override the Constitutional provisions, in other words the laws of the land (Constitution) supersedes any rule made by the College no matter how good it is intended so long as it conflicts with it.
“We are calling on you and any other person to desist from this act and to accordingly rescind it, otherwise we will be compelled to take steps to enforce the rights of any student who desires to wear her Hijab within the school premises and will equally report you to relevant authorities for undermining the peace of the State,” the statement said.
Efforts to get the reaction of the provost proved abortive as multiple calls to her phone number were either not picked or fail to connect.
Similarly, both SMS and Whatsapp messages sent to her number since Saturday were not responded to despite the fact that her Whatsapp number indicated that the message was read.
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