The Muslim Lawyers’ Association
of Nigeria, MULAN, has vowed to reject the new directive given by the High
Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on lawyers’ dress code.
MULAN said the FCT High Court had
in a press release on March 28, 2018 “prohibited the use of any apparel
underneath wigs by lawyers and by extension the hijab by female Muslim
lawyers.”
But in a communiqué generated at
the end of its National Executive Committee meeting in Benin, Edo State, on
April 3, 2018, MULAN said it would not adhere to the directive.
It described the directive as
“unfortunate, draconian, illegal, unconstitutional and unlawful.”
The MULAN communiqué was signed
by its President, Dr. Kamal Dawud.
It argued that the directive by
the court was at variance with Section 38 of the constitution, which guarantees
citizens’ right to manifest their religion.
It added that the court’s
decision was “contrary to the 2004 resolution of the Body of Benchers which
allows female Law School students and legal practitioners to use head cover
underneath their wigs.”
“MULAN NEC condemns the directive
in the press release in the strongest term and urges the FCT High Court to
reverse its decision contained in the press release forthwith,” the communiqué
said.
It further said the furour
generated in the legal circles over the case of Firdausa Al-Jannah Amasa, who
was barred from the call to Bar ceremony for wearing hijab was needless.
It insisted that Section 38 of
the constitution, guarantees the right of individuals to manifest their
religious beliefs, and had “enjoyed several judicial interpretations by
superior courts to the effect that this right is inalienable provided it does
not go against public interest.”
“The use of Hijab in public
institutions, in particular , has enjoyed affirmative judicial interpretation .
For this reason, MULAN NEC wonders why this issue is generating this avoidable
furor especially in the echelon of justice ,” it said.
The body of Muslim lawyers,
however, said it had finally resolved “to design a hijab-compliant collaret
with bib for use by Muslim female legal practitioners so as to conform to the
tradition of the legal profession in Nigeria.”
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Sick people. The world has passed this stage. Even the so called world power America realizes the supreme being and by extension, they respect religion. Practicing Muslim lawyers here in America use their head gear/hijab in a very smart, beautiful and adorable manner. Why are people not sincere? Look at the country called Nigeria. Sometimes, I am ashamed to be called Nigerian. Why do we discuss things like this for God sake? What has your dressing has to do with your intellectual capacity? Would that type of dressing cause hazards? I know it can cause hazards to only those bad and inhuman people. Seeing Christians or Muslims in their dresses is torturing to them because they are darkness. I personally have grown up to realize that there is more to this world. We shall all see in the end. People are suffering and languishing in darkness, poverty and yet they are discussing things like this. It sucks!!!!
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