Muslim parents forum to challenge hijab ban at Supreme Court
Muslim Parents Forum to Appeal Hijab Ban at University of Ibadan School
The ISI Muslim Parents Forum (ISIMPF) has announced plans to appeal to Nigeria’s Supreme Court following a recent decision by the Court of Appeal that upheld the University of Ibadan International School (ISI-UI)’s prohibition on female Muslim students wearing hijabs.
The case, which has been ongoing for seven years, was initiated by a group of 11 Muslim students. In a split decision, the Court of Appeal ruled 2-1 in favor of the school.
In their majority opinion, Justices Biobele Georgewill and K.I. Amadi stated that ISI-UI should be classified as a private institution due to its lack of government funding. They also determined that the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling permitting hijabs is applicable only to public schools in Lagos State, excluding private schools like ISI-UI.
The justices emphasized that the students had accepted the school’s regulations by signing its code of conduct, including its uniform policy. Justice Georgewill remarked, “No infringement of rights was noticed.”
However, the court did find that ISI-UI violated the students’ rights by confining them in the library for three to four hours. Consequently, the court reduced the compensation initially awarded by the Oyo State High Court from 1 million naira to 200,000 naira.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Fadawu Umar upheld the previous ruling of the High Court, dismissing the school’s appeal as lacking in merit.
ISIMPF Chairman Abdur-Rahman Balogun expressed disappointment with the ruling but reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to pursue the case further. “As Allah decreed, we lost the appeal, but the struggle continues,” Balogun stated. He called on the community to remain calm in light of what he described as “open oppression.”
The forum is now preparing to take its case to the Supreme Court.