On June 3, 2016, the Osun State High Court delivered a judgement in favour of a case instituted by the Osun State Muslim Community against the state government on the right of female Muslim students in public schools in the state to use hijab on their school uniforms. The state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) immediately vowed to appeal this judgement at a higher court. The association also threatened that any attempt to enforce the law in the state would lead to chaos and breakdown of law and order. However, the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN-OS) came out to explain that they are not against wearing of hijab in Osun State public schools as being insinuated but insisted that Christians will not go back on wearing of garments to schools. Following this, the CAN also threatened that it would direct Christian students across the state to wear choir robes, vestments and other church garments to schools to propagate their faith if the Osun State Government implements the judgement of the High Court. The stage for physical confrontation was set on the resumption of schools last week when certain church leaders besieged some schools “to ensure that no Christian student was chased way for appearing in church garments.” According to these clerics, since female Muslim students are free to wear hijab, Christian children are free to wear anything they want to. In a similar scenario, religious battle was last week averted when the Principal of a Middle School in Osogbo was said to have sent some female Muslim students who wore hijab out of the school. We believe that this controversy is needless and is capable only of heightening inter-religious tensions in a state hitherto famed for its religious accommodation, harmony and tolerance. The fact is that according to the Holy Qur’an, the hijab is compulsory for female Muslims whenever they are outside the confines of their homes. It cannot be imposed on non-Muslim women. The simple way out is for female Christians to be given the choice to start wearing Biblically appropriate garments and vestments as part of their school uniform for the protection of their own faith. Adherents of other religions should be allowed the same liberties provided the apparels do not violate the constitution or other laws of the land on decency. We urge the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) to urgently intervene in this matter which is capable of disrupting the age-old harmony among our multi-religious communities. A ban on hijab being sought by some groups is not an option since it violates the religious freedom of this group of Nigerians. It is also capable of further discouraging girl-child education among Muslims. Leaders and stakeholders should shun the culture of silence. We need to speak up and set the facts right. Source: Leadership ]]>