Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) condemn the proposed Ban on the Hijab by President Buhari. The Muslim group vehemently opposed the idea, describing it as an attempt to”encroach on Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslim women”.
President Muhammadu Buhari intimated Nigerians on likely ban should the rate of veiled females suicide bombing missions increase.
According to the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the idea of banning the hijab is “scapegoatism,” and can only ‘open the floodgates of anarchy’, instead of solving Nigeria’s security problems.
“If army and police uniforms are not banned although they are often used by bandits, why should we ban hijab? Security agents know how they often fish out hoodlums who use police and soldiers’ uniforms to commit atrocities. The same method should be used to prevent the use of hijab for bombing.
“What crime have Nigerian Muslim women committed that they should be derobed in public? Without their hijab, Muslim women feel as if they are naked. Users of hijab are in all walks of life. They are civil servants, business women, teachers, etc. Most importantly, they are tax payers and voters. They voted Buhari into power.
“Hijab is more than a covering for female Muslims. It is a unique identity for Muslim women. It is a mark of dignity and a symbol of piety. Hijab is an integral part of Islam, a microcosm in a macro. Whoever bans hijab has fired a shot at the religion of Islam. We therefore advise Mr. President to tread softly.
The group called on President Buhari to come up with more innovative and strategic ways to resolve the menace of insecurity menace in the country, describing it as anachronistic; “Buhari and his security chiefs must therefore find other means of stopping the bombings. They should leave Muslim women alone. Nigeria’s security agencies must sit up and device other means. There must be new initiatives and fresh ideas. Armchair crime-fighting is an anachronism. They must not use Muslim women as scapegoats. They must step up their intelligence gathering gimmicks.
