Appeal court lagos cannot bar school girls from wearing hijab
A significant development in the ongoing debate on the wearing of hijab by school girls in Nigeria!
On July 21, 2020, the Court of Appeal in Lagos, Nigeria, delivered a landmark judgment that upheld the right of school girls to wear hijab to school. The court ruled that the Lagos State Government and the School Proprietor cannot bar students from wearing hijab to school.
The case was brought by the Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria (MSSN) against the Lagos State Government and the School Proprietor, who had banned the wearing of hijab in a public school in Lagos. The MSSN argued that the ban was unconstitutional and violated the fundamental rights of the students to freedom of religion and expression.
The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision, held that the ban on hijab was unlawful and unconstitutional. The court ruled that the right to freedom of religion and expression is a fundamental human right that is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
The court also held that the Lagos State Government and the School Proprietor had failed to provide a reasonable justification for the ban, and that the ban was discriminatory and violative of the students' rights.
This judgment is a significant victory for the Muslim students and their families, who have been fighting for the right to wear hijab to school. It is also a major step forward for the protection of religious freedom and human rights in Nigeria.
The judgment has been hailed by many as a major victory for religious freedom and human rights in Nigeria, and has been seen as a significant step forward in the fight against discrimination and intolerance.
However, it's worth noting that the judgment is not without controversy, and some have expressed concerns about the implications of the ruling for the education system in Nigeria.