As we wrote
recently, the Islamic mujahedeen, desperate to change the equation of
influence in the educational sector in Osun state are pushing the wearing of
the hijab to school as a matter of religious duty for their young girls.
Of course, the school re-classification policy, could not
change the history, character, or influence of schools founded by Christian
missions decades ago, as die-hard Islamists would love to see happen. So, against all reason and logic, the idea
was first touted that the government should provide school uniforms, the same
uniform, for all schools in the state.
The expected next step of providing different Shariah-compliant
uniforms for muslim students was
however not that easy to implement. Not
only are students from different schools now no longer distinguishable by their
uniforms, that next step would sharply identify students purely as either moslem
or non-moslem. Even the don’t-bloody-care government of the day
couldn’t just go that far.
And so, the goal of eroding the significant influence of
Christian mission schools in Osun State remains unachievable. Desperate that the tenure of their champion
is winding up, the Islamists are throwing caution to the winds and moving on
anyway.
The dress-rehearsal was carried out at the Baptist High
School, Ejigbo, where the principal and some teachers were beaten to a pulp,
allegedly because of their opposition to the wearing of the hijab by female
moslem students. As it became evident
soon after, the alleged assault on a hijab-wearing moslem girl was a pure
concoction by the Islamist. It never
took place. Thereafter the real action commenced
at yet another Baptist School, the Baptist High School at Iwo – the hotbed of
Shariah militancy, probably in the
entire South West.
We had drawn the attention of our readers to an earlier
script by the Shariah advocates, before the show of shame at Ejigbo. In the major article intended to usher in the
hijab into public schools in Osun state, Prof Ishaq Akintola from Lagos state
University, had alleged that Christian teachers were physically assaulting
moslem girls on the streets of Iwo, for dressing in the hijab. Like we pointed out, that would be extremely
absurd, as virtually every moslem lady in the town dresses in the hijab/purdah,
irrespective of weather condition or the time of the day or night. What would
be new in a school girl donning the hijab on the streets of Iwo, and what would
be the problem of any Christian teacher with that?
The script was thereafter changed to situate the imaginary
assault in Ejigbo.
With the following severe beating dealt on Mr Layi Oguntola
at Ejigbo, the mujahedeen were sure no Principal would dare complain when they
instructed their girls to come to school at Iwo, donned in their hijabs. According to the Osun CAN, this was with the
tacit support of the government.
What the Islamists did not bargain for however, was a
scenario where the Christians completely ignore the hijab donning Islamist
girls. Rather, the CAN
simply gave leave to Christian girls to also feel free to turn up in their
religious clothing, such as choir robes, worn over their standard
uniforms. Soon after, students
practicing traditional religions also decided they could come to school in their
own various regalia, including some masquerades! The argument of the Islamists has now gone
round full circle: yes, it is the right of pupils to come to school in garbs
reflecting their religious persuasions.
But such right certainly could not be limited to muslim girls!
The government’s initial attempt to intimidate the parents
of Christian pupils who came in the unconventional garb has been rebuffed by
the CAN who accepted responsibility for the dressing of the pupils and directed
that the parents should not honour government’s invitation to discuss the
matter.
So we wait to see what the government of Ogbeni Aregbesola
would do next, as he is obviously so scared of calling his Islamic base to
order. Are we witnessing the last days
of the advocacy for hijab in Osun public schools?
For related furore concerning the change in name of the
famous Ilesa Grammar School (founded 1934) to Ilesa High School in the spirit
of the Aregbesola’s re-classification programme, see (Alumni kick against plan
to change school name, Punch
Feb 7, 2014, pg 43)