TheCable

The presidency says the Buhari administration will not ban the hijab without consulting with the stakeholders.

Giving a clarification on the pronouncement of the president on his maiden media chat on Wednesday, Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, said the speculations were “unfounded”, and that the Buhari administration would always respect the rights of Muslims to protect their modesty and allow religious freedom as it affects everyone.

Shehu, while admitting that “the hijab was being abused by insurgents to carry out suicide attacks on people, which violates the teachings of Islam”, said the president would not take any decision on the issue without due consultation with all the stakeholders.

“Everything will be done to balance national security requirements with the rights and obligations of citizens under their religions as protected by the constitution,” he said.

According to him, the increasing abuse of the hijab by insurgents to perpetrate criminal mass murder and other atrocities was a reality, and that the government would address the security challenge in consultations with Muslim leaders with a view to finding a workable solution.