Aregbesola Visits School, Says Govt Never Approved Hijab

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday visited the troubled Baptist High School, Iwo, saying his administration never approved the wearing of hijab by female Muslim pupils.
The governor, who was dressed in the school uniform with a cap, said this while addressing parents and pupils of the school.
He added that his administration neither approved the use of hijab nor disapproved it before it became a subject of litigation before the state High Court.

The governor said pupils should continue to use hijab in the schools where they had been using it and warned against introducing it in schools where they had not been using it.
Some Christian pupils last Monday started wearing religious garments to BHS as a form of protest against the use of hijab in the school which was founded by Christian missionaries.

Some other pupils also wore dresses to identify with their religions. Some of them dressed like masqueraders.
The Monday visit to the school was aimed at resolving the crisis which has triggered altercations between some Muslim leaders and their Christian counterparts.

Aregbesola said, “We are a product of the rule of law and this has guided all our actions. As we have said in the past, we have not approved the use of hijab in any school. Let me repeat this to the hearing of mischief makers who have been working tirelessly to bring religious war to our state.

“Those prompting chaos and conflagration in our state; those who have a well-established antecedent of violent behaviour; those sowing the seed of discord in our schools and community and inciting one religion against another, as we have said in the past, government did not at any time approve the use of hijab in any school before the matter went to court.

Baptist High school

“It is the court’s position that the status quo ante be maintained until the case is determined.
“Yoruba people have a tradition of accommodation and inclusion; that is why our families are interwoven around all religions.
“Some people, goaded from hell, however, are working to break our bond of unity by beating the drum of religious war. They will fail and only they and their families will dance to that evil beat.”

The Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, appealed to stakeholders to cooperate with the government to ensure that the students get the best education.
She stated that there could be no effective learning in an atmosphere of chaos, while urging students to face their studies.
Representatives of various religions at the meeting said they abhorred disunity and promised to always promote peaceful coexistence among adherents of all religions.

February 11, 2014