Hijab Abuse: Three Supervisory/Regulatory Institutions Petitioned

MUYAD Social Service (MSS), as part of civil efforts to totally ensure respect of the constitutional and fundamental human right of Muslim ladies in the country with regards to wearing of their hijab (Islamic compulsory hair covering), has petitioned three (3) and copied to ten (10) governmental offices to help stop the abuse.

The institutions petitioned are: Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Education and the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).

The petitions were copied to the: Minister of Chieftancy and Religious Affair, Minister of Health, Office of the Vice President, Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), National Peace Council, Office of the National Chief Imam, the Security Agencies (Police, Immigration, Prisons and Fire Services), COMOG, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), IMAGH, Ghana Education Service (GES), Islamic Education Unit, and Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA).

These institutions were petitioned on the September 30th, 2019. And reminded them on the again on October 31th, 2019, after a month of waiting for responses to the petition, yet no responses came from these institutions, except Ministry of Interior which responded today, November 12th, 2019. Attempt to call for a follow-up through their landlines provided were not successful as the lines seems disconnect.

It is becoming an increasing phenomenon of some institutions and individual superiors within public, private, and government sub-vented institutions where/who directly and indirectly oppressed Muslim ladies (including married women) from wearing their hijabs in observing, manifesting and fulfilling of their religious obligation.

MSS has observed with disdain how this oppression is widely spreading across the various institutions within the country with some government sub-vented institutions (educational, health facilities and professional bodies) taking an entrenched position against the 1994 Constitution of Ghana (Supreme law of the land) in this modern day of civilization and upholding of human rights and rule of law and massive campaigns against discriminations in all facet of human life.

MSS therefore call on the President of the land, Speaker of Parliament, Chief Justice, all human right organizations and law enforcement agencies (public, local and international NGOs), and the media to help us stop these acts of religious discrimination and oppression so we can together preserve and safeguard the peaceful coexistence Ghana enjoys in the midst of it multi-religious and multi-cultural nature.
We will continue to keep the public and well-meaning Ghanaians updated on the effort to end the hijab abuse.

Thank you.
Signed

Adnan Adams Mohammed
Executive Director,
MUYAD Social Services
+233244653664 / +233267874318