The situation has been described as a “crisis” by mainstream news outlets, like The Punch, Vanguard and
Premium Times. The Osun State High Court had on June 3, 2016 given a judgment which recognizes and
upholds the constitutional rights of female Muslim students in the state to wear their hijabs at school,
during school hours. The court specifically cited section 38 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) as the
basis for its ruling. Hijab is a “fundamental right” of the female Muslim students under that section, said
the court. The said section grants “every person” in Nigeria the freedom to “manifest” their religion. That
obviously covers the use of the hijab by any Muslim citizen.
In the Islamic faith, the hijab is of exactly the same status as the five daily prayers. Both of them are
absolutely obligatory upon the matured Muslim girls and women. She must wear it wherever a male –
who is not from her immediate family – is present. To give a clearer idea of the status of the hijab, it is, to
the devout Muslim woman, more important than the turban is to the Sikh. Therefore, while it is easy to
find Muslim girls and women who do not like wearing the hijab (mostly due to their upbringing and
environment), there are indeed others who wish to carry out the command of their God by wearing it
anytime they are outside their homes. Under the Nigerian constitution, they have the “fundamental right”
to do that. It is indeed noteworthy that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have never denied this
either. They too concede that the hijab is a fundamental right of female Muslims. However, they simply
cannot let them exercise that constitutional right.
According to the leaders of CAN in Osun State, the hijab symbolizes the “Islamization” of the state. So,
their opposition to its use by female students is, in their view, a kickback against creepy conversion of the
“Christian” (?) State of Osun into an Islamic caliphate. On June 7, CAN even organized an “emergency”
meeting over the renewed hijab “threat.” Elisha Ogundiya, their local chairman, later issued a statement
declaring that the hijab is an Islamic propagation tool. CAN fear that as soon as Muslim students started
wearing their hijab at school, everyone in Osun State would somehow become Muslim, and then possibly
a caliph would emerge. These facts reveal that CAN see the hijab as an existential threat. So, they will
never stop opposing it, and may even go to very desperate lengths to stop Muslims from wearing it. This
necessarily puts them on an eternal collision course with the generally peaceful and law-abiding Muslim
majority of Osun State.
CAN threaten to direct Christian students in the state “to start wearing Christian garments and vestments
as part of their school uniform for the propagation of our own faith” if the governor decides to respect
the court’s pro-hijab ruling. The exact point of comparison between the hijab and the Christian garment
is, however, not mentioned. The hijab is compulsory for the female Muslim, in all places and at all times
– except only when she is with her immediately family. Is that the case with the “Christian” garments
(whatever that means)? When a female Muslim is prevented from wearing her hijab, she is thereby
automatically denied the right to perform one of her most fundamental religious obligations. Is it then
really the case that the “Christian garments” are obligatory upon female Christians in all places and at all
times (except in the presence of their immediate families) as well? Is it truly a religious obligation in
Christianity to adorn choir robes and other “Christian” vestments virtually everywhere they are?
It is obviously impossible to miss the intolerance and fanaticism of Christian leaders like Ogundiya, who
raise false alarms over non-issues and needlessly stoke up religious tensions between Christians and
Muslims. The world has moved beyond such kinds of religious rascality. This is the age of intellectualism

and mutual tolerance. In Western countries, Sikh policemen and soldiers are allowed to wear their turbans
and beards, and this has not led to any Sikhization of Europe and America. Besides, why on earth would a
mere piece of clothing lead to mass conversions in any faith? How reasonable does that sound?
Apparently, Ogundiya’s alarmist approach to internal Muslim issues – which have absolutely nothing to
do with Christians or Christianity – is disturbing, to say the least. He is supposed to give responsible
leadership to the Osun State Christian community. But, what is he doing instead? It is even terribly
disappointing that he is asking the state governor to flout the ruling of the state high court, just to calm
his jumpy nerves. Perhaps, a sign of how out-of-line Ogundiya has become is his comical vow to appeal
the judgment, even though neither he nor his organization was a party in the case. Considering the utter
emptiness and rashness of his threats and actions, it seems considerably clear that he is only a
troublemaker. He has no interest in peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Osun State.
He wants to build a wall of hatred between the two faith communities and sow the seeds for a bleak
future for our noble state. But, is that really the teaching of Christ? “A man without self-control is like a
city broken into and left without walls,” says the Christian scripture. Such a man is indeed a threat to
humanity as a whole. Maybe, it is high time that the leaders of CAN started to deal with their Muslim
compatriots “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” as their
holy book prescribes.