The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) of pampering Christian private universities that witch-hunt Muslims.

While accepting JAMB’s apology over an incident at Covenant University, MURIC in a statement by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola: “We accept JAMB’s apology in good faith and we express appreciation for rescheduling the examination for those maltreated at the centres. JAMB is being charitable and humble by tendering an apology and we commend the examination body for doing that.

“Nonetheless, we are constrained to ask what next apart from the examination rescheduled for the poor, innocent female Muslim candidates who were persecuted, traumatised, and derided yet their only crime was wearing hijab and being Muslims?

“How will JAMB lift their lowly spirit and remove their excruciating agony and sorrow? Also, how will JAMB douse tension among millions of Muslims who have suffered agonising pain on account of the maltreatment of their fellow Muslims?

“We contend that JAMB is treating these Christian private universities with kid’s gloves. Rescheduling the examination cannot be the only consequence of the oppression, dehumanisation, and stigmatisation which Covenant University and Canaanland willfully and maliciously visited upon our daughters as if the latter is less homo sapien compos mentis.

“The fact that JAMB alone is the one apologising, perhaps accepting responsibility for inviting the candidates, while the culprits themselves wear the toga of recalcitrance, arrogance, and lack of remorse, is enough to tell Nigerians that there have been no consequences and there will never be if care is not taken.

“The implication of such a situation is that there will be repetition time and time again. Hijabophobia will occur again so long as there is no punitive action for what happened at Covenant University on March 30, 2023. Others who have not seen any deterrence will also do it. They will do it again and again as long as they are treated like sacred cows.

“MURIC demands justice for the poor innocent Muslim girls. We are not convinced by Covenant’s excuse that it was not aware of what was happening to Muslim candidates at its gate. We prefer to be human beings dissatisfied than pigs satisfied. We will rather be free men in our graves than live like puppets and slaves in our own land.

“We, therefore, call attention to a petition written by us and addressed to the JAMB Registrar. The petition, which was dated April 3, 2023, left Lagos by courier on the same day. We are also aware of another petition on the same matter written by another Islamic organisation.” (The Guardian)

Update news