The chairman of the forum, Alhaji AbdurRahman Balogun, made this known to journalists on Friday during a protest held at the Bodija Housing Estate Mosque in Ibadan.

He said apart from the cases, the forum had also petitioned the National Human Rights Commission, Abuja; Director General of DSS, the Inspector-General of Police, the Ministry of Education and management of University of Ibadan, among others.

ISI and the Muslim parents had been at loggerheads over the rights of students to adorn hijab to the school.

Balogun said that efforts made by the parents to settle the matter out of court had proved abortive as the management of the school refused to shift ground.

He said that the institution had insisted that the status quo on the uniform must be maintained, adding that they would also resist any attempt to deny their children their fundamental rights legally, legitimately and peacefully.

“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has given everyone the guarantee and any attempt to deny any of our children of such fundamental right will be resisted legally, legitimately and peacefully.

“There are appellate judgments in the case of Lagos, Ilorin and Osun in support of hijab right and we are just awaiting the judgment of the Supreme Court on it.

“We expect that a Nigerian and in a public-owned school, even if it is privately owned, you have to obey the constitution of the Federal Republic. And this is our point,’’ he said.

Balogun said that they were compelled to petition the NHRC, DSS, police, Ministry of Education and UI management having seen that the issue was leading into a dangerous height.

He alleged that their kids in the school were now being attacked and parents harassed.

According to him, such situation was getting too dangerous.

Balogun announced that they had refiled a case against UI, ISI management, Mrs Phebean Olowe, and the DVC (Academic), Prof E.B. Ekanola, saying they would have been served the court proceedings.

“We have refiled our case against the UI, ISI management, Mrs Phebean Olowe and the DVC (Academic), Prof E.B. Ekanola. We have filed 11 different cases in line with the details of the court and they would have been served the court proceedings,’’ he said.

He regretted that the forum had three meetings to settle out of court with the ISI management, but school refused to shift ground even when parents demanded to know the mode of dressing the school wanted in terms of shape, mode, colour and size, among others.

Balogun said the school had been unwilling to shift ground, insisting that status quo must be maintained.

“There is nothing in the ISI rules and regulation that prevent our daughters or anybody willing for that matter to adorn hijab, let alone the constitution of the FRN.

“Even if there is anything like that, the constitution of FRN supersedes any other law. And if it was not contained there, then why are they harassing our daughters,’’ he said.

Source:  NAN

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It also described it as a threat to girl-child education.

The group made the remark on Tuesday in a statement issued by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The group berated the principal of the school, Mrs. Phebean Olowe, saying her action showed that she was not in tune with reality.

MURIC said she was draconian in her ways and retarding the progress of UIIS.

Said MURIC:  “We are surprised that at a time when the whole world is struggling to boost girl-child education and reduce the number of out-of-school children, a female school administrator of her status is issuing anti-girl-child education directives. It is such a shame. Britain and America are encouraging the wearing of hijab in their schools but here we find a school administrator constituting herself into a cog in the wheel of progress particularly in the area of girl-child education. Can this be attributed to lack of exposure? This principal is in dire need of a sabbatical leave outside Nigeria.

“She should have known that UIIS is an elitist academic environment where all the parents (Christians or Muslims) know their rights. Many of the Muslim parents are staff of the university. Why must she chew more than she can swallow? Why must she bring an alien, parochial and archaic agenda to an academic setting? This is obviously a failure in administration.

“A good administrator will consult parents before taking such a sensitive decision and there are a lot of opportunities for her to do that. Religion is a sensitive matter. She must have a hidden agenda otherwise she would not have made such an attempt in view of the proliferation of hijab stories in the news. No school administrator worth the salt will issue an anti-hijab instruction in view of recent events around the country unless such a principal is from Mars or Mercury.”

The Islamic group commended the parents who participated in a peaceful protest at the school gate over the ban on hijab.

MURIC said, “Peaceful protest is an extention of dialogue where there are grievances to address. It is an Allah-given fundamental right of all citizens. Nobody has the right to take it from us.

“We hail the Muslim parents of UIIS for standing up in loco parentis. These parents have refused to abdicate their responsibilities. They have a duty to educate their children and to monitor their progress as prescribed in Qur’an 2:233. They have successfully done that. They also have a duty to protect their children from abuse, stigma and religious discrimination. They have proved that they are capable of doing that. We are proud of them.”

UIIS was shut down with immediate effect on Monday when some of its students appeared in school wearing hijab.

The action was against the management’s prescribed school dress code.

Some parents under the aegis of International School Muslim Parents’ Forum, had in a petition to the principal earlier stated that it wanted to “put the school management on notice of this resolution on the rights of our female children to commence the use of hijab from this academic session of 2018/2019.”

The petition was signed by Alhaji Abdurrhaman Balogun (chairman) and Bilikis Badiru (secretary) of the forum.

“Hijab wearing for young Muslim girls, apart from the fact that it is part of their religious belief, is part of their God given fundamental human right as well as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the parents said.

But when the pupils arrived school wearing hijab, both school assembly and classes were cancelled.

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It was learnt that the principal had over the years denied the female Muslim students the right to wear hijab.

The parents of the affected students under the auspices of International School Ibadan Muslim Parents’ Forum, in the petition, which was made available to journalists, said  “Hijab wearing for young Muslim girls, apart from the fact that it is part of their religious belief, is part of their God-given fundamental human right as well as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The parents, in the petition entitled, “Notification of Muslim parents’ resolution on Hijab for our Muslim girls in ISI”, and signed by the Chairman, Alhaji Abdurrahman Balogun, and Secretary, Mrs. Bilikis Badiru, said there are two Court of Appeal judgments affirming that the use of hijab is a fundamental right in Nigeria under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They said the management of the institution, hence, should desist from denying their wards the right to use hijab in the school.

Copies of the petition were also sent to prominent Nigerians that include the Chancellor of  University of Ibadan and Sultan of Sokoto; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Ibadan; Chairman, ISI Parents Teachers Association, ISI; Vice – Chancellor, University of Ibadan; Deputy Vice – Chancellor (Academic), University of Ibadan; Registrar, University of Ibadan; Chairman, University of Ibadan Muslim Community; Chief Imam, University of Ibadan Muslim Community; Minister, Federal Ministry of Education; Commissioner, Oyo State Ministry of Education; Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN); Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo State; President, Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN); President, Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN); President, Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN); President, Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA); President, Muslim Rights Council (MURIC) and Chairman, Hijab Advocacy Groups.

According to them, the use of hijab, for Muslim girls, is now a global phenomenon irrespective of personal or professional callings- student, lawyer, nurse, doctor, security personnel, teacher among others, who willingly adorn it.

While urging relevant stakeholders to prevail on the principal and management of the institution to allow the female students to commence the use of hijab from the 2018/2019 academic session, the parents however regretted that there were brilliant female Muslim students who have refused to come to the institution because of its perceived no hijab doctrine.

The petition reads in part:  “On behalf of ISI Muslim Parents Forum we extend our warm greetings to you and other members of the school management. Over the years, the forum has wondered why our willing Muslim girls have not been adorning the head scarf (hijab) in line with their religious belief just as their counterparts elsewhere do.

“Hijab wearing for young Muslim girls, apart from the fact that it is part of their religious belief, is part of their God-given fundamental human right as well as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Part of what distinguishes an institution is the ability to demonstrate a high level of tolerance of the rights of every child, including female Muslim children; one of which is the use of Hijab as desired by their parents, enjoined by their faith (Islam) and also permitted by the constitution of the federal government of Nigeria.

“It is our considered opinion and resolution that the school authority should not disallow or discourage willing Muslim girls who wish to wear uniformed mini hijab to protect their chastity in line with their religious belief. A mini-hijab is a piece of cloth covering the head, side face and neck neatly blended. This is personal and has no effect on other fellow students.

“Our resolution is premised on the ground, inter alia; that section 38 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees right to freedom of religion including the right to manifest religious belief within the ambit of the law. Using a mini-hijab to cover the head is a manifestation of and a fundamental requirement of our children’s religion.

“That the fact that a Muslim girl not using the hijab in ISI is a mere tradition (a colonial heritage) without a justification in the school dressing code and that such a tradition cannot override the provision of section 38 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 CFRN).

“Moreover, there are two Court of Appeal judgments affirming that the use of hijab is a fundamental right in Nigeria under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The use of Hijab, for Muslim girls, is now a global phenomenon irrespective of personal or professional callings; student, lawyer, nurse, doctor, security personnel, teacher among others, who willingly adorn it.

“The Body of Benchers in Nigeria recently endorsed the use of mini-hijab not only at the call to the bar ceremony but also at the Nigeria law school and indeed in the legal practice. We wish to let you know that there were brilliant female Muslims students who have refused to come to ISI because of its perceived no hijab doctrine. Our children have, up to this time, suffered undue psychological stress due to the fact that their natural mode of dressing has hitherto been denied when in school.

“We are mindful of the need to maintain uniformity and moderation in line with the dress code of the school and have taken appropriate measures to ensure this. This Forum hereby puts the school management on notice of this resolution on the rights of our female children to commence the use of Hijab from this academic session of 2018/2019. We are ready to shed more light on this resolution should opportunity arises. May ISI grow from strength to strength in peace, unity, fairness and justice. Ameen”.

Efforts made to get the reaction of the Principal on the petition proved abortive as several calls put through to her telephone were not answered.

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