"As a demonstration of modesty and obedience to Allah, Muslim girls and women wear head coverings called “hijabs,” particularly when in public. Q24:30–31. For Muslims, wearing a headscarf is not only about religious expression, it is strictly religious obligation; and if the constitution freely provides for freedom to exercise one’s faith according to section 38 (1) of the 1999 constitution, then where lies the tolerance so claimed by non-Muslims?"
The article deals with the problem of girls who suffer for wearing a Muslim style head covering, in Lagos, Nigeria. A teenaged girl who wore a headscarf was apparently beaten by her female principal in front of a special assembly called in the school, as reported by one student observer:
“The principal addressed us and warned that if we didn’t stop putting on religious outfit during the school hours, we were going to get into trouble. She subsequently called on Aisha and gave her about 43 lashes. Some of us started crying on the assembly. Her body was covered with marks of the cane. The principal had warned us before, but that day was more serious,” she said.
Making a rule against wearing a headscarf, and then publicly flogging a young woman for supposedly rebelling against authority, is just unjustifiable in any country, religious or not. According to one account in the article, the crime is blamed on the non-religious of the area, those who have lost a faith they once held. Regardless, this is just not acceptable human behaviour, and only a few small steps behind those who would deny a young woman or girl her education simply because she chooses to honor her faith and her family by covering her head in public. May those who have been persecuted for their faith in other places and ways understand.
Found in the Nigerian Vanguard: "Hijab controversy: Kids also face persecution"
3 comments:
I wonder if their ban on head coverings include actual head coverings for religious purposes?
http://mvhs.meridianschools.org/
Over the years, I've seen where school dress code policy against head covering of any sort uses alternate excuses so as not to appear to be touching a religious issue, as even the school you link to states: "Any article of clothing, jewelry, or make-up which draws undue attention, is unsafe, or is disruptive to the educational process will be considered inappropriate." And so it is explained to parents that their daughters are merely being told not to wear them because they are "unsafe" or that they are "disruptive" - stretching the definition as far as they can. I think that some even feel that they are similar to the way that certain gangs wear a specific type of ball cap or bandana to signify their gang status, and so try to put these religiously obedient girls into the same category. (And by the way, Christian jewelry or t-shirts somehow also fall into these categories, not because they are religious, but because they "draw undue attention," or are distractions to education. Which is another way of saying, "you're different and I'd rather not know the real reason why, so just dress and act and be like everybody else so I don't have to work so hard." Oops, I got a little sarcastic there at the end, but I hope you understand the point I was trying to make: schools actually have to state "head coverings for religious purposes are acceptable" in their dress codes, and that just seems like too much for many schools to take on.
Clothes which draws undue attention... That sounds like the teachers are saying it´s ok to bully students who stands out from the crowd. Because if anyone stands out that will be so distracting that students are told it´s ok if they can´t focus on the edjucation because they stare at that student? Instead of teaching them tolerance.
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