Chop this gist, my people! As we dey enter World Hijab Day season, Muslim women for Nigeria don come together gbam-gbam to shout say make dem stop discrimination against hijab-wearing women. Dem gather yesterday for Lagos State Secretariat Community Central Mosque for Ikeja, dey vex about wetin dem dey face for this country.
The coalition wey carry this talk na major groups of Muslim women, wey don use this year’s theme “Unity in Hijab” take carry the matter come light. Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, wey be the executive director of Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, come dey talk say, “No be say hijab na wahala, na symbol of faith and unity be that!”
She no just stop there o! She talk say even with Constitution wey suppose protect dem, chics wey dey wear hijab still dey face wahala for schools and workplaces. E no sweet at all, as wetin suppose be their right don turn fight semantics.
Maryam Abdur-Rasheed from Pure Heart Foundation come follow up, saying, “The hijab na divine command from Qur’an, so e no be say we dey follow fashion.” She carry Section 38 of 1999 Constitution come talk say if dem no allow hijab, dem dey violate their freedom of religion!”
Na so Kudrah Ogunmuyiwa from Federation of Muslim Women Associations join the gist, alerting us to the wahala wey Igbo Muslim women dey face. E say dem dey double vulnerable, because dem na Muslims and dem be Igbo. She don call on law enforcement to act sharp sharp against hate speech and threats!
Hussainat Akintola, from Al-Muminaat, no leave the matter behind as she talk about the challenges disabled Muslim women dey face. She talk say make dem provide better mosques wey go fit all, make dem no dey left behind! “No be privilege, na right!” she talk.
Education dey vex the group too! Rofiat Tijani from Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos Area, don complain about discrimination wey dey happen for schools. “Why dem dey force girls to tuck in their hijabs? E no make sense!” she shout.
We also hear about hijab-wearing women wey dey face harassment for immigration points. Akanbi Maryam of Akhwaat don dey complain say dem dey force dem to remove their hijabs for biometric screening. Wetin be this one again? No be violation be that?
Ummulkhayr Adeleke-Lawal dey vex say even for driver’s licence centers, them dey hold Muslim women down because dem no wan expose their ears. She talk say na illegal and discriminatory!
Dem don gather together and demand say government and law enforcement agencies must issue clear policies to protect hijab rights, train their personnel, and sanction offenders. Halimah Ogunbekun of An-Nujabau don call for unity, say e no go possible make any woman dey left behind!
At the end of the day, dem don beg President Bola Tinubu and all the oga at the top say make dem uphold justice and respect the Constitution. Make we remember say 2026 go be the year wey Nigeria go stand for unity and equal rights!
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