MUSLIMS PROTEST AGAINST THE REMOVAL OF HIJAB

Story By Joyceline Natally Cudjoe

MUSLIMS PROTEST AGAINST THE REMOVAL OF HIJAB

Muslims has gone demonstration on Friday to express their displeasure and disapproval about the West African Examination Council’s (WAEC) order against the use of hijabs (headscarf) during passport picture snapping.

The demonstration went on in the Sekondi-Takoradi of the Western Region as a result of WAEC specification sent to Schools explaining the kind of pictures they need.

Examination Council has said to have challenges with the kind of passport pictures sent by schools therefore sent to schools the specification for the photograph to ensure uniformity across board.

WAEC officials in the Western Region asked candidates taking passport-size photos during registration for the final examination in the B.E.C.E and W.A.S.C.E to remove their headscarves as it conceals some vital features (like forehead, nose, chin etc.)  needed to be included in the passport   for easy detection of the students.

The Islamic community during the demonstration claimed hijab is their dignity therefore by removing it means dumping away their honour and also an infringement to their rights as Muslims.

They said the honour of an Islamic female is by covering herself from head to toe  therefore they are not ready to be dishonoured.

The demonstrators furthered that the directives of the Examination Council violates the Sacred rules of the Islamic Religion and such is a sin to Allah.

However Mrs. Teye Cudjoe the Public Relations Officer of the West African Examination Council in an interview with Joy News said they did not target any group or religion in the distribution of the required specification for the passport-size photos but sent it to all schools to ensure easy and smooth work for the council due to the previous problems the council met with the photographs of the candidates of B.E.C.E  and W.A.S.C.E .

Mrs. Cudjoe suggested that if the protestors could wear their hijab and still could show the required feature in the photographs the council would not have problems with that.