MURIC mocks CAN as Hijab Bill passes second reading at House of Reps

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has berated the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for rejecting the hijab bill titled ‘Religious Discrimination (Prohibition, Prevention) Bill 2021’ which scaled through the second reading in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 23.

The group also slammed the Christian body for referring to missionnary schools in the country as Christian institutions.

In a statement signed by its Secretary, Joseph Daramola, CAN had registered its opposition to the bill, insisting that it would lead to crisis.

However, MURIC described CAN’s statement as conservative and reactionary, urging the House to go ahead with the bill as it is not designed for hijab rights alone.

MURIC noted in a statement signed by its director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, that the bill also aims at liberating Nigerian workers and women from discrimination.

According to MURIC, “CAN is not talking about morality, legality and justice in its opposition to the bill. CAN is not interested in whether it is right or wrong.

“The only thing CAN is interested in is to impose its own whims and caprices on the lawmakers by threatening fire and brimstone.

“Imagine CAN’s words, ‘We are not against the wearing of hijab in public and Islamic schools but our schools should not be included unless those states are looking for trouble’.

“CAN refers to missionary schools which were taken over by the Gowon decree of 1974 as ‘our schools’. That is a misnomer. Those schools ceased to be missionary schools a long time ago.

“CAN will therefore be living in self-denial if it continues to refer to them as ‘our schools’”. MURIC said.