…. Hijab Rights group calls for boycott until she apologises
Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative (HRAI) has joined the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and people of good conscience across the world to condemn the desecration of the Niqab in an upcoming movie, calling on actress Nancy Isime to apologize and pull down the offensive pictures from her social media handles.
The call comes few hours after the organisers of Paris Olympics apologized to the Christian world over the offensive Last Supper parody depiction during the opening ceremony of the games on Saturday, July 27.
In a press statement issued on Sunday by its Executive Director, Hajia Mutiat Orolu-Balogun condemned the inciting movie still in production posted on Instagram by Ms Nancy Isimi where the Hijab and Niqab exclusively worn by Muslim women were used as a disguise in a robbery scene.
While appreciating the timely intervention of the National Film and Video Censors Board which warns against insulting people’s religious beliefs in the name of Arts, Hajia Orolu-Balogun noted that it’s unfortunate that the Edo-born actress has not shown any sign of remorse.
“However, as at the time of this release, on Sunday, Ms Nancy Isime has neither apologized nor taken down the offensive picture.
We, therefore, call on the Muslim Ummah and well meaning Nigerians to boycott not only this film, but any other that Ms Isime appears in, until she does the needful.
Hajia Orolu-Balogun, who was among lawyers that fought for the rights of Muslim students using the hijab at the apex court in Nigeria, recalled how a Nigerian bank apologised to the Christians over an unpleasant PR incident in its 2022 easter message, titled, “Like Agege bread, He Rose!”.
Muslim News also gathered that the organising committee of Paris 2024 has apologised to Catholics and other Christian groups who were outraged by a scene during the opening ceremony that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting with drag queens, a transgender model and a singer made up as the Greek god of wine.
Hajia Orolu-Balogun, however believed that “the excuse of creative freedom, fighting for God and even Nigeria being a secular state was neither tendered nor accepted. It is blatant hypocrisy to accept the Olympics and the Bank was wrong, but uphold ‘creative freedom and secularity’ when it comes to a faith different from theirs, or when it applies to Muslim Women!”
The Hijab Rights group also slammed the media, especially The Punch for what she described as one-sided reportage of the offensive upcoming movie.
According to her, “As usual, the media reportage was one-sided, with The Punch Newspaper for example posting on its Facebook page that “Entertainment Lawyers” state that the creative freedom of the movie producers cannot be stifled by any religion and thus it was okay to do so because it was mere acting.
“Another of the so-called entertainment lawyers was reported to have noted “that movies mirror what happens in society”…Hence, Muslim women in Niqab and Hijab are bank robbers? We also seem to forget that these movies are agents of socialization and a lot people take what happens in them as truths!”, she added.
READ FULL STATEMENT BELOW
OF THINGS SACRED: THE DESECRATION OF THE HIJAB, NIQAB AND THE 2024 OLYMPICS (UPDATED)
We at Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative join the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria as well as Muslims around the world to condemn the movie still in production posted on Instagram by Ms Nancy Isime where the Hijab and Niqab exclusively worn by Muslim women were used as a disguise in a robbery scene.
The Muslim Ummah condemned this as it is a desecration of a sacred symbol of faith and modesty of the Muslim woman.
Muslim women have had to face discrimination and negative stereotypes in the society, from outright denial of their fundamental rights, to being denied interviews not to talk of getting jobs, registeration of sim cards, NIN, international passports to writing exams and to something as mundane as refusal of entry to restaurants. All because they adorn an attire upholding their faith and convictions.
As usual the media reportage was one-sided, with the Punch Newspaper for example posting on its Facebook page that “Entertainment Lawyers” state that the creative freedom of movie producers cannot be stifled by any religion and thus it was ok to do so because it was mere acting. Another of the so-called entertainment lawyers was reported to have noted “that movies mirror what happens in society”, hence, Muslim women in Niqab and Hijab are bank robbers? We also seem to forget that these movies are agents of socialization and a lot people take what happens in them as truths!
Again, social media was divided, and not necessarily along religious lines, some stating that it was clear disrespect of Muslim women, and others saying there was nothing wrong and you cannot “fight for God”. One thing, however, we can all agree on is that as humans, we will “fight” for what is dear and often times sacred to us.
The Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony depicted the Last Supper of Jesus Christ by using members of the LGBTQ+ community, displaying satanic symbols and rituals. This has been widely condemned as a disrespect to Christianity and rightly so. Consequently, several calls to boycott the Olympics have been made. We have even seen major sponsors like C spire, (a tech firm in the US) withdrawing their sponsorship and national broadcasting networks, removing the videos of the opening ceremony from their websites and youtube and refusal to rebroadcast same.
We cannot easily forget the unpleasant PR incident of a bank in its 2022 easter message where it was stated that “Like Agege bread, He Rose!”. This was condemned and fought head on. The excuse of creative freedom, fighting for God and even Nigeria being a secular state was neither tendered nor accepted. It is blatant hypocrisy to accept that the Olympics and the Bank were wrong, but uphold “creative freedom and secularity” when it comes to a faith different from theirs, or when it applies to Muslim women!
We at Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative renew our commitment to advocating and defending the rights of Muslim women to wear their Hijabs and Niqabs while participating in society in whatever lawful way they deem fit.
We thank the National Film and Video Censors Board for timely wading into this matter. However, as at the time of this release, Ms Nancy Isime has neither apologized nor taken down the offensive picture. We therefore call on the Muslim Ummah and well-meaning Nigerians to boycott not only this film, but any other where Ms Isime appears in, until she does the needful.
While the 1999 constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria (as amended) has upheld the fundamental rights of all citizens, it however, does not give the right to erode that of others. It is important as Nigerians that we ensure we do not cause chaos in our country, especially during this difficult time. We pray for peaceful coexistence and a prosperous Nation for us all.
Mutiat Orolu-Balogun
Executive Director,
Hijab Rights advocacy Initiative
hijabrightsadvocacyinitiative@gmail.com
29th July 2024
