The President of Kwara Baptist Conference, Reverend Victor Dada, has reacted to the controversy tailing the use of hijab by Muslim students in Christian schools in Kwara State.
KanyiDaily recalls that aleast three people sustained varying degrees of injury during a clash between Muslims and Christians over the use of hijab by Muslim female students.
Kwara government had approved the use of hijab by Muslim schoolgirls in all public schools in the state, but Christian institutions kicked against it openly, insisting that they will not allow such in their mission schools.
The controversy led to violence on Wednesday morning after Christian officials of Baptist School, Surulere disallowed the girls in Hijab from gaining access into the school.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Reverend Victor Dada warned the government and Muslims in the state not to take Christians for granted.
He described Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led-government as “the government of the Muslim, by the Muslim and for the Muslim.”
Rev. Dada said no amount of pressure will make the schools allow the use of hijabs, adding that their schools are grant-aided and not public schools.
He stated that the last 15 years have seen the government employing Islamic religious teachers in schools, while teachers for Christian Religious Knowledge are not employed.
“It is surprising that the government has become a government of the Muslim, by the Muslim and for the Muslim in his (state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq) policies, pronouncements and attitude,” the statement added.
He said that at no time has any government designed uniform for schools ever since the grant aiding policy started in 1974.
“This has always been the responsibility of the proprietors, be it community or mission,” he added.
“The Muslims and the government should not take our gentleness for weakness.
“We shall not allow the use of hijab in our schools. We will defend our faith and defend our inheritance. We demand that the government should return our schools.”
KanyiDaily recalls that the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III had said he’s looking forward to a better Nigeria where Muslims are allowed to wear hijab anywhere without restriction.
