INHUMANE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HIJAB NURSING STUDENTS AT NJALA UNIVERSITY

It astonishes me to realize that in this 21st-century era, there could be traceability of inhumane discrimination against Hijab Nursing Students at Njala University Bo campus. What is more unappetizing to hear are the persistent moves by the University authorities in infringing on the rights of female students putting on hijab for lectures? The Courier has received multiple concerns from students at the aforementioned nursing school that authorities have been preventing them from taking lectures because of their hijab.

One may want to know what is the crime for female students putting on hijab whether during or after lectures? Why are most tertiary institutions with specificity to Njala University frowning at modesty and promoting immorality? Hope someone answers these mind-boggling questions. More than four female students whose names and identities are withheld as requested to be anonymous have vocalized their ordeals to me with regard to the senseless discrimination against them because of their modesty.

 One of the affected students disclosed that the Head of Department for the Nursing School Bo Campus Mrs.Daphne Cummings-Wray has been very foul-mouthed in addressing the student in hijab. She added that Madam Cummings-Wray has been saying that the Njala School of Nursing is not an Islamic School and therefore, criminalizes the hijab. She went further to say that the Head of the Department has equally ordered them to go to another nursing school if they insist on putting on a hijab.     

The Courier considers such purported remarks from the Head of Department to be very unfortunate in this 21st-century era.  I thought this discrimination against female students with hijab is a generalized one not until I made some investigations on the University of Sierra Leone. It fascinated me to realize that the University of Sierra Leone especially the nursing school at COMAHS is very accommodating towards female students in hajib. 

In order for the Head of the Department to have her own say, I redirected the mic to her and this is what she said. “This is very strange to me because this is not happening under my watch. I was expecting the Students to have engaged the administration before talking to journalists. They should have made an official complaint about administrative action”.  

Maybe the Department of Nursing at Njala Nursing School Bo Campus doesn’t really know the moral benefit of hajib. Properly wearing Hajib most often makes women less attractive to their opposite sex. It greatly contributes to the promotion of modesty and chastity. It equally reduces infidelity and immorality to a certain extent in our societies. Most importantly, it is the religious obligation for all those female students to put on the hijab, especially when going out of their homes. Thus, such discrimination is deemed as an absolute infringement on the religious right of those female students.

We have all seen the inimical effect of explicit sexually enticing dress from most of our ladies. The undiluted truth is that emerging film theatres have been unearthed in most of the student hostels disgracefully producing film contents of pornographic materials. As recent as four days ago, another sex tape video was released and the key characters in the video are purported to be students of Njala University. All these odd happenings cannot be unconnected to the sexually mesmerized dress codes among female students gallivanting on campus. Lecturers demanding sex for grades from certain students equally has some nexus to female students exhibiting their sexual morphology on campus.

Let me take you through the legal implications of discriminating against female students because they wear hijab.  The Education Act of 2004 provides for principles of non-discrimination in the education sector.  Section 4 subsection (1) states;  “This Act and any other enactment and administrative instructions relating to education shall be administered and interpreted in such a manner as to ensure that there is no discrimination between pupils or students in the matter of their admission to and treatment in any educational institution in Sierra Leone but nothing in this section shall be deemed to forbid or restrict discrimination between citizens and non-citizens of Sierra Leone in the matter of the provision of financial assistance for the payment of school fees or the award of scholarships or otherwise”.

Article 4.5 in the Sustainable Development Goals calls for the elimination of all forms of discrimination in the education sector. It also calls for the elimination of gender disparities in education and ensures equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable including persons with disabilities, indigenous people, and children in vulnerable situations. Thus, barring a female students from putting on hijab is in contravention of the aforesaid.

Also for the purposes of this article, the Courier would like to make references to a specific article of the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights which vehemently preaches against discrimination against women. Article two (2) of the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights calls for the elimination of discrimination against women. This article condemns Discrimination against women and any action preventing a woman from enjoying all the rights recognized to all human beings and in all fields because of her sex.

In furtherance to the above subject matter, I will also like to draw your attention to an article (18) of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights which also condemns the purported happenings at Njala University School of Nursing regarding discrimination against female students putting on hijab.  Article (18) of the UDHR equally gives the freedom for the change of religion or belief, and freedom either alone or in community with others and in public or private, for someone to manifest his religious belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.

Njala University Muslim Student Association

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women also obliges  States Parties to condemn discrimination against women in all its forms, agree to pursue by all appropriate means, and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women. Article two (2)  paragraphs (e) of CEDAW equally mandate states parties to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women by any person, organization or enterprise.

Having zoomed on certain international treaties prohibiting all forms of discrimination particularly against women, the Courier would like to narrow it to the 1991 constitution which is the grand norm of the laws in the land. The 1991 constitution provides absolute protection from discrimination. Section 27 subsection (2) of the 1991 constitution is just apt to this discussion. Section 27 subsection (2) reads; “subject to the provisions subsections (6), (7), and (8), no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any law or in the performance of the function of any public office or any public authority”.  

In conclusion, references are made to the aforementioned local and international legal instruments in order to remind authorities at the Njala University that there are laws and treaties which prohibit discrimination, especially against women. Fascinatingly enough, if not all but most of those international treaties have been domesticated. It is definitely worth reminding the authorities at the School of Nursing Njala University Bo Campus that any form of discrimination against female students putting on hijab, is in contravention of the existing laws cited above. Hope the administration at the School of Nursing Njala University Bo Campus will have a rethink in this direction. 

BY MOHAMED M. SESAY (LUCKY)

THE COURIER