Hijab crisis: Kwara Muslims want schools’ names changed

Kwara State Muslim Community has suggested that the names of all schools formerly owned by Muslim and Christian proprietors in the state should be changed as part of solutions to the lingering hijab crisis in the state.

The Muslim community, in a letter addressed to the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, recommended six actions to be taken by the government in resolving the issue of hijab-wearing by female Muslim students in all public schools in the state.

“The Kwara State Government should change the names of all schools formerly owned by both the Muslim and Christian proprietors by adding’ Government’ into them, e.g, Ansarul Islam Government Secondary School, Ilorin, Bishop Smith Memorial Government College, Ilorin,” the community stated in the letter.

Copies of the letter dated June 7, 2022, with reference number KWS/MS/01/22 and signed by Alhaji Ishaq AbdulKareem (Chairman) and Professor Ibrahim Abikan (Secretary), were made available to newsmen in Ilorin, the state capital on Monday.

The Muslim body also demanded adequate compensation for the family of the late Habeeb Idris allegedly killed on February 3, 2022, during the hijab crisis that rocked Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo in Oyun Local Government Area of the state.

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Other demands of the Muslim community as stated in the letter are that “The Kwara State Government must build a new school mosque for Muslim students/ teachers of Bishop Smith Memorial College, Ilorin to replace the one demolished.

“The Kwara State Government should appoint a new Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, while the permanent secretary in the ministry should be moved to another ministry.

“The Kwara State Government must enforce freedom of worship in our schools by ensuring that separate devotions are held for Muslim and Christian students at the school assembly, and no external Imam or Pastor should be allowed to participate in morning devotion aside from the school teachers.

“The Kwara State Government should ensure, henceforth, that appointments and postings of principals into all schools should be based on merit and seniority and should be the sole responsibility of the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission instead of former proprietors as it is being done now.”