Eleven Christian nurses sacked for refusing headscarves

The Australian ^ | December 02 2003 | Associated Press

[knighthawk]

Eleven Christian nurses fired by a public hospital in Nigeria's strongly Islamic north for refusing to wear Muslim-style head scarves are appealing for international pressure to help restore their jobs.

The women are among 21 fired in December 2001 by a federal government hospital in Azare, in the northern state of Bauchi, for refusing orders to cover their heads with scarves.

Ten of the women later had their jobs reinstated after they agreed to abide by the directive.

Seven of those still out of jobs met Monday in Lagos with Baroness Caroline Cox of Queensbury, deputy speaker of the British House of Lords, asking for help from Nigeria's former colonial ruler.

Cox, herself a former nurse, assured them, "I have every intention of raising these issues in Parliament."

The women said they had refused to cover their heads because they were Christian, and said their families were suffering from hunger and other hardships since the firings.

"Most of us are the breadwinners of our families. We can't cope," said Ngozi Osakwe, one of the nurses.

"We are appealing as a last resort to ... the international community and anybody who can reach the Nigerian government to assist us getting justice."

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, has a largely Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south. A dozen northern states began implementing Islamic law, or Shariah, three years ago.

Tensions over implementation of the Islamic code are blamed for helping to fuel Muslim-Christian violence that has killed thousands since.

Church leaders complain of Christians being forced to obey Shariah laws that ban alcohol and dictate heavy clothing for women and girls, despite official insistence that the rules apply only to Muslims.

"When they passed the Shariah law we thought it would not affect us, as they said it would not affect Christians," Osakwe said. "But later, despite our appeals, they insisted we must comply with the Shariah way of dressing."

Sam Mbok, leader of an association of Christian nurses, said the health workers planned to launch a legal challenge on behalf of the fired nurses.

Dauda Ishaya, leader of an association of Christians in northern Nigeria, warned of growing discontent among minority Christians in the north.

"When they say Shariah is for Muslims they do not mean it. It is an attempt to impose religious hegemony on us," Ishaya said.

Haruna Ibrahim, a Health Ministry spokesman, said he was unaware of the case and would look into the matter.

[knighthawk]

The Religion of tolerance (tm) at work again.

[knighthawk]

Eleven Christian nurses fired by a public hospital in Nigeria's strongly Islamic north for refusing to wear Muslim-style head scarves are appealing for international pressure to help restore their jobs

Islam-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[xJones]

"When they passed the Shariah law we thought it would not affect us, as they said it would not affect Christians," Osakwe said. "But later, despite our appeals, they insisted we must comply with the Shariah way of dressing."

Western Europe in 50 years or less, tell the women to get ready.

[SAMWolf]

I guess Nigeria doesn't suffer from a nurse shortage then?

[hang 'em]

Good luck to these ladies. They're lucky if the Mo-peds don't stone them to death, let alone get their jobs back.

[WackyKat]

Western Europe in 50 years or less, tell the women to get ready.

You got that right. In some major cities, women are already being harassed if they go outside in Islamic neighborhoods without a headscarf

[USF]

I suppose next they will have acid thrown in their faces for daring not to wear hijab in EUropistan.

[protest1]

"When they passed the Shariah law we thought it would not affect us, as they said it would not affect Christians," Osakwe said. "But later, despite our appeals, they insisted we must comply with the Shariah way of dressing."

I don't think it will even take that long for Canada to go the same way, now that they are introducing shariah law. I also remember reading an article about muslim areas of France where non muslim women are harrased if they do not have their heads covered.

[Celtman]

I don't think it will even take that long for Canada to go the same way, now that they are introducing shariah law.

????  More info, please.

[radiohead]

See - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1028846/posts

(i know it wasn't addressed to me, but i'm up...)

[protest1]

An article from WorldNetDaily is below, also a link to the article and another to a Vancouver web site.

Delegates elect council to set up Islamic Institute of Civil Justice (Canadian Law Times)

Canada, however, is preparing for its 1 million-strong Muslim minority to be under the authority of a Sharia system enforced by the Canadian court system, according to the Canadian Law Times.

Muslim delegates at a conference in Etobicoke, Ont., in October elected a 30-member council to establish the Islamic Institute of Civil Justice.

The institute is classified in Islamic law as a Darul-Qada, or judicial tribunal. Its bylaws are scheduled to be drafted and approved by Dec. 31.

Cases will be decided by a Muslim arbitrator, but the local secular Canadian court will be the enforcer.

One of the obstacles to establishing the system, the Law Times said, has been the Muslim communities' lack of unity and organizational strength. Muslims in Canada come from many different countries and different schools of Islam. Also, there are few Islamic legal scholars, known as ulama, in North America, which are essential to adjudicating complex issues.

"It seems as if the community was looking forward to something like this," says organizer B. Husain Bhayat, according to the Law Times. "If all groups are represented, with hard work and the unity we saw here, we will have no difficulty going forward."

The two main streams of Islam, Sunni and Shi'ite, were represented at the conference, along with imams and leaders of organizations."

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35850

http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2003/11/87502.php

[xJones]

Afraid you can't dissemble, or distort, or shift, islam's guilt in this matter?

skull stomper, don't try so hard.

andak01: having read your previous posts on Fr, I'd bet you are Jewish and very well informed.:)

[Celtman]

Thank you.

I believe this article rates its own thread.