The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has reacted to the ban on hijab for female students at the University of Ibadan International School.
Condemning the actions of the school’s management, NSCIA issued a statement through Mr Aselemi Ibrahim, the head of Media and Communications.
According to NSCIA which is headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the management is stifling Muslims of their voices.
”This position is against the backdrop of the incessant cases of allegation of harassment of Muslim pupils of the university’s International School over the use of hijab.
”Fixing of statutory academic and management meetings of the university for periods dedicated to Muslims’ Friday prayer among other issues,” the communique said.
The statement also lamented the actions of the school whose founding fathers established the Centre for Arabic Documentation and the Certificate and Diploma programmes in Islamic Studies and Arabic.
“We insist that Western education is lawful while the University of Ibadan is insisting on declaring Western education unlawful.
”We urge lawmakers to initiate bills that would streamline and unambiguously legitimise the use of hijab in public institutions in the country,” the council said.