Another Muslim law graduate, Aisha Zubair, has come out to say
she was victimised and forced to remove her Hijab by officials of
the Council of Legal Education and the Law School during the last
call-to-bar exercise.
Ms. Zubair, who made her claim known to our reporter through the
Muslim Rights Council, MURIC, said she was never allowed to put her
Hijab on despite pleas.
Ms. Zubair’s claim is coming against the backdrop of the
controversy generated over the barring of Amasa Firdaus, another
law graduate, from the exercise.
Ms. Amasa was barred from accessing the venue of the exercise
for refusing to remove her Hijab.
The issue has continued to generate heated debates across the
nation with the House of Representatives promising an investigation
of the matter.
MURIC quoted Ms. Zubair as narrates her experience at the venue
of the exercise thus:
“I was called to the Nigerian Bar on the 12th day of December, 2017
in the morning. Some other sisters and I were on the queue together
to enter the hall. At the entrance, the law school lecturer there
demanded for our hijab, she asked that we remove both the hijab and
the cap and give it to her. She demanded same of those wearing
ordinary cap too.
“We begged to go and remove it properly in the toilet and she
obliged. We were allowed to enter only when we had removed
everything from our heads. When I went to my seat, I donned the
hijab back on but I was approached about twice to remove the hijab,
as other sisters were approached too.
”When the programme started, I put it back on, tucked it into
the collarrete and placed the wig on it. When it was my turn to be
called to the stage, I approached the stage with the hijab on, took
a bow like everyone else but did not shake the hands of the bencher
there. I was given my certificate like everyone else and I
proceeded to my seat.
“When I got to my seat, a law school lecturer was waiting there
and she started shouting at me and hurling insults at me for daring
to wear the hijab in the hall saying I wanted to disgrace them. She
demanded I remove the hijab and throw it on the floor, which I did,
then she started to rub the hijab on the floor. Then she kicked it
around several times before asking a guard to guard the hijab and
not allow me retrieve it. Then she came back with another lecturer
to seize the certificate I had just collected from me saying it was
order from above for doing what I did. I begged but they didn’t
listen. After the ceremony, I went to them and after so much pleas,
I was given back the certificate with a stern warning.”
Council of Legal Education and the Law School at the time of filing
report.
Another Muslim law graduate, Aisha Zubair, has come out to say
she was victimised and forced to remove her Hijab by officials of
the Council of Legal Education and the Law School during the last
call-to-bar exercise.
Ms. Zubair, who made her claim known to our reporter through the
Muslim Rights Council, MURIC, said she was never allowed to put her
Hijab on despite pleas.
Ms. Zubair’s claim is coming against the backdrop of the
controversy generated over the barring of Amasa Firdaus, another
law graduate, from the exercise.
Ms. Amasa was barred from accessing the venue of the exercise
for refusing to remove her Hijab.
The issue has continued to generate heated debates across the
nation with the House of Representatives promising an investigation
of the matter.
MURIC quoted Ms. Zubair as narrates her experience at the venue
of the exercise thus:
“I was called to the Nigerian Bar on the 12th day of December, 2017
in the morning. Some other sisters and I were on the queue together
to enter the hall. At the entrance, the law school lecturer there
demanded for our hijab, she asked that we remove both the hijab and
the cap and give it to her. She demanded same of those wearing
ordinary cap too.
“We begged to go and remove it properly in the toilet and she
obliged. We were allowed to enter only when we had removed
everything from our heads. When I went to my seat, I donned the
hijab back on but I was approached about twice to remove the hijab,
as other sisters were approached too.
”When the programme started, I put it back on, tucked it into
the collarrete and placed the wig on it. When it was my turn to be
called to the stage, I approached the stage with the hijab on, took
a bow like everyone else but did not shake the hands of the bencher
there. I was given my certificate like everyone else and I
proceeded to my seat.
“When I got to my seat, a law school lecturer was waiting there
and she started shouting at me and hurling insults at me for daring
to wear the hijab in the hall saying I wanted to disgrace them. She
demanded I remove the hijab and throw it on the floor, which I did,
then she started to rub the hijab on the floor. Then she kicked it
around several times before asking a guard to guard the hijab and
not allow me retrieve it. Then she came back with another lecturer
to seize the certificate I had just collected from me saying it was
order from above for doing what I did. I begged but they didn’t
listen. After the ceremony, I went to them and after so much pleas,
I was given back the certificate with a stern warning.”
a reaction from the Council of Legal Education and the Law School
at the time of filing report.