We won’t allow use of Hijab: Cheribum Church rejects Kwara Govt order

The Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide in Kwara on Sunday rejected the use of Hijab by female students at the Cherubim and Seraphim College, llorin, ordered by the State Government.

The Chairman and Spiritual Father of the church, Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye, made the church’s position known to newsmen in Ilorin on Sunday.

According to Abidoye, the movement is against the use of the Muslim veil by female students of the school since the church would be responsible for the appointment of the management of the institution and decide on dress code and use of beret.

The Secretary of Ilorin District headquarters of the movement, Mr Samson Ibidoja, also stressed that the maintenance of the school has been the sole responsibility of the church.

He said the Cherubim and Seraphim College at Sabo-oke in llorin owned by Seraphim Church Worldwide was established in 1969 to take care of the educational development of children.

The church therefore advised the government to revisit its decision on the matter to forestall unnecessary trespass capable of leading to breakdown of law and order in any part of the state.

Reacting, the Chairman of Muslim Stakeholders in Kwara, Prof. Hamzat AbdulRaheem, said the state government decision on the use of Hijab by female students in all schools must be respected to allow peace continue to reign in the state.

“What the Christian brothers and sisters are carrying to the whole world is false, there are many Christian private schools in the state that Muslims can’t enforce the use of Hijab, but that of public schools is different,” he said.

He said the Cherubim and Seraphim College like some schools established by some Muslim organisations are not owned solely by Missions that established them and could not dictate how the schools must be administered.

AbdulRaheem however advised the Cherubim and Seraphim Church to either abide with the state government decision on the use of Hijab by female students or request for the taking over of the school with the sharing of its assets and liabilities.

10 Christian schools were closed down by the state government over the prohibition of the use of Hijab by female students in those schools.

The state government immediately swung into action by calling a stakeholders dialogue between Christians and Muslims and later came out with a decision to allow the use of Hijab by female students in all schools in the state.