Dr. Mustapha Hamid
The
National Council of Zongo Chiefs has called on its members across the country
to participate in an upcoming hijab walk scheduled to take place on October 12,
2019 in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale.
The
walk which is mainly organised by the Muslimah Mentorship Network, a non-governmental
women’s group, is aimed at echoing hijab-based discrimination against Muslim
women and also create awareness on the religious rights of Muslim women to
manifest their religion by wearing their veil and scarf.
In
a statement signed by the General Secretary of the council, Chief Ishak
Sulleman Naaba Sigirie I, the council has urged participants in the upcoming
event to carry out the walk in accordance with laid-down procedures and
instructions of security agencies.
The
council also registered its displeasure against recent happenings of alleged
abuses meted out to Muslim women for observing their religious rights.
 “We are not happy with the position taken by
some individuals in position of power to even go to the extent of trying to
expel our women and children if they refuse to take off the hijab and continue
to wear the hijab to work,” the statement read.
It
has, therefore, called on perpetrators of such abuses to desist from those acts
with immediate effect in order not to undermine the unity and peaceful
coexistence among religious groups which has been a key feature of stability
observed in the country.
“We
want to tell those in charge to let our women and children practise and to
manifest the religion of their choice since wearing hijab or scarf will not
hinder or interfere with their work.
“Article 21(C) talks about “freedom to practise any religion and to manifest such practice,” the statement added.
By Issah Mohammed
