THAT BOMBING AT DIKWA’S IDP CAMP AND HIJAB By Polycarp Onwubiko

Some weeks ago, a public event by Muslims was held in Lagos where their women embarked on public procession to warn against any government contemplation or measure that would violate their religious right of wearing “Hijab”. The Reporters of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and Nigeria Television Authority who are Yorubas, in their persistent effort to teach English speaking people and other ethnic groups in Nigeria on the imperative of regarding the alphabet ‘H’ as an abominable alphabet, brazenly and proudly pronounced Hijab as ‘Ijab’. That is a continuation of the impunity in their news reportage in the electronic media, even as the management of the media outfits usually pretended to be helpless in calling the reporters to order and pronounce English words properly without tainting them with one’s native language phonetics.

 It is unfortunate that it is only in Nigeria that the aphorism “religion is the opium of people” holds sway. In Nigeria, the opium in religion cuts across the segments of the society. It is expected that religions founded many centuries ago when civilization and education were not envisaged would be gradually moderated as the light of civilization and education shine and radiate into the consciousness and mindset of the adherents.
   
Since Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and diversely religious conglomerate, it is expected that when religious issues come up, rationally minded patriots, the elites and educated people would use their exposure and enlightenment to douse the tension because the less educated would look on them for guidance in conduct, perception and interpretation of the issues.
Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has gone beyond the imagination of both the victims and the alleged covert sponsors; even as it has become clear that the religious fundamentalist group has been affiliated with the notorious international groupings inflicting pains, sorrows and havoc in many parts of the globe. The engagement of females by the unrepentant blood-hounds in suicide bombing in the northern part of the country has thrown the government in a complex dilemma as no solution has been found to curb the growing perilous development.

Boko Haram fundamentalism is not limited to Nigeria since some neighboring countries like Chad and Cameroon are battling with the ghoulish religious fundamentalists. In a sensible bid to curtail the incidence of female suicide bombing, Chad had to suspend the wearing of Hijab which would be resumed when the Boko Haram menace is completely routed. The people of Chad demonstrated that they are intelligent, educated, enlightened; even as they rightly understand that the mindset of religious founders many centuries ago should not tie them down. In other words, Chadians demonstrated and proved that religion cannot be opium.

Having set the enviable pace for Nigeria to emulate in safeguarding the lives and limbs being systematically destroyed by female suicide bombers in Hijab, the suggestions by people who are pained by the avoidable death of Nigerians to suspend wearing of Hijab was greeted with a groundswell of revulsion by the ultra-conservative band of Moslems. The agonizing thing was the vociferous outbursts of the educated and even Yoruba Moslems who are lawyers. Some Moslems raised hell and threatened brimstone as if the people who made the suggestion have ulterior motive other than to help save lives and limbs of people caught in the cross-fire of the hordes of hell in the name of religion. They naively contended that if hijab would be banned, motorcycles and cars which the terrorists use should equally be banned.

The inanity and brazen irrationality of those Moslems who were even ready to attack Christians because of honest suggestion to save lives depicted in bold relief, the beastly level ofopium that affect religion in this seemingly accursedcountry. Boko Haram insurgents drunken with blood of innocent Nigerians are happy that the suggestion to suspend the wearing of hijab was vehemently shouted down by the vulnerable segment of their targets. They are encouraged to recruit more females as there is no means to detect the hijab-wearing female suicide bombers.
   
The chilling news of the massacre of over seventy inmates of Dikwa Internally Displaced Persons [IDP] camp in Bornu state was wrongly reported. The reporter said that the suicide bombers “sneaked” into the camp and denoted their lethal packages to the inmates. The fact is that the female suicide bombers did not “sneak” into the camp; rather they worked in leisurely like every other female inmates adored with the sacred, sacrosanct and the ‘almighty’ hijab which left no suspicion of explosives. Thus the female suicide bombers never needed to entertain any anxiety since there was no difference in their dressing with the rest of the females in the camp.

In the usual mass deceit in the accursed country, the jingles in the radio Nigeria talks about the suicide bombers appearing in voluptuous attire but not mentioning hijab which is the only flowing attire that can conceal bombs. Who is fooling whom in this country of ethno-cultural cum religious incompatibles that is not amenable to compromise to forge a nation?

The question remains unanswered: are Nigerians Moslems more refined, dedicated and enlightened than their Chadian counterparts? In France and other civilized countries, hijab is prohibited so that security agents will do their work satisfactorily for the interest of everybody. These countries appreciate the dynamics and flux in creation that go with the evolving societies. It is plain stupidity to cling to the prescription of religious founders in the hoary past who had never in their wildest imagination and recluse consciousness thought that the world would be changing along with the perception of the created beings. Why should people in the name of religion relish conservatism and prefer to be appearing like masquerade and not be free from the pristine and primitive thoughts of religious founders?Religious founders are not God; even God permits changes as he knows that civilization is embedded in the consciousness of his creatures, especially human beings.

In northern part of Nigeria, it appears that there is a demon that punishes people who do not wear cap. People should free themselves from ultra-conservatism and emulate civilized ways of doing things. Children in Almajari schools established by President Goodluck Jonathan are clogged with cap and caftan instead of simple dressing which is short-sleeve shirts and shorts which would enable them to move freely, play football and engage in other ex-curricular activities in the schools.

However, the Boko Haram malevolent should be having the last laugh since they would continue to be using hijab to continue their onslaught of guerrilla warfare as they are being systematically degraded by the gallant Nigerian army.

Mr. Onwubiko
an author and public affairs analyst
wrote via [email protected]
Awka Anambra state

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