Court Fixes Sept 26 For Judgment On Islamic Dressing

A Lagos High Court
presided over by Justice Modupe Onyeabo, has adjourned to September 26, 2014 for the judgement in suit filed by the Muslim Students Association against Lagos State government over the use of Hijab by female Muslim students in the state’s primary and secondary schools.
Justice Onyeabo fixed the date after counsel to MSSN, Gani Adetola Kaseem (SAN) and the Lagos State Solicitor General, Lawal Pedro (SAN) argued and adopted their written addresses.
The MSSN had sued the state government over the restriction of the use of the Hijab on the ground that it violates their fundamental rights.
The MSSN also argued that banning female students from using Hijab on or outside the premises of any educational institution in Lagos State “is wrongful and unconstitutional”.
The body had filed the case against the state government along with two pupils: Miss Asiyal Abdulkareem and Miss Maryam Oyeniyi, who are the first and second applicants respectively. The two pupils, who are students of Atunra, she Junior High School, Surulere, Lagos State joined the suits as claimants through their fathers, Alhaji Owolabi Abdulkareem and Mr. Suleman Oyeniyi.
The defendants in the suit are the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye and the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole.
At the hearing, counsel to MSSN, Mr. Gani Adetola Kaseem (SAN) had argued that the wearing Hijab by Muslim female was to prevent them from tempting the opposite sex or being tempted by them as well as to protect their chastity as require by Islam.
He also submitted that womanhood started from when a girl attained the puberty.
Mr. Kaseem further stated that scientifically and firm experience, the attainment of puberty varied from between individuals, and pointed out that some female attained puberty at age 13 while attained it later.
He contended that it was mandatory for all moslems who had attained puberty to practice fully the dictates of Islam and urged the court to grant the application.
But the solicitor general, Mr. Lawal Pedro, (SAN) who represented the defendants argued that the wearing of uniforms in public primary schools and secondary schools was for identification of students from different schools in Lagos and that the standardised set of dress for students was meant to encourage a sense of unity, discipline and orderliness in schools.